Phantasy Star Portable Kotone
by The-Fantastic-Story-Writer
Summary: Hyuga Ryght - Not exactly teacher material. Too bad for him, someone thinks he is. Enter Kotone, his new female student. Oh dear. "I'm Kotone. I like things, but don't much like people. My hobbies . . . Well, my hobbies might make you question my sanity, and if I'm at a mercenary school, my dreams are rather obvious."
1. Chapter 1

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

This is my first Phantasy Star Fanfiction, and it's based on Phantasy Star Portable. Unfortunately, I don't own the others.

Yet.

This was inspired by the one conversation between the Player Character and Hyuga, where he offers to teach you to fight better with swords. Said character makes you run away.

* * *

Kotone fiddled with her pen aimlessly, resisting the urge to bite the cap into tiny pieces; after all, it was a borrowed pen. _Oh Rappy feathers_, Kotone thought sourly, _I hate psyche questions._ She hastily scribbled down her first thoughts about the question and flicked her borrowed pen onto the desk of the person who lent it to her, getting up to turn her paper in.

* * *

Laia Martinez observed the tanned Newman as she turned in her entrance exam, scowling heavily at the paper before returning to her seat. Usually Beastmen (or women) turned in their papers first, and Newmans last. She took the paper discreetly, and began scanning the neatly written answers. They were mostly correct (at least, the ones that mattered) but reading the last one, she had to stifle snickers. Hoo boy, Ethan and Hyuga were so going to love this.

* * *

"Failed someone already?" Hyuga asked, not even bothering to look up from his paper. Ethan snorted, offering a hand out for the paper to see the score.

"Last question," Laia suggested, smirking when Ethan looked at the highly scored paper in surprise. Hyuga closed his newspaper, scooting over to read the question and answers along with his friend.

_100. If faced with a Pannon, how would you react?_ A picture of said Pannon was cheerfully displayed. Under the picture, written in a slightly spikier cursive, _Awww . . . How cute . . . Kill it!_ Hyuga clamped his mouth shut, trying valiantly not to laugh himself sick. Ethan had no such reserve, leaning forward to bury his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees, hiccupping loudly.

"Sounds like one of your students," Hyuga agreed, eyes bright with mirth. "Although, why someone as beautiful as you has to be so cruel, I don't quite understand." Ethan sobered up slowly, as Laia bonked Hyuga on the head._ I feel so sorry for her if she ends up your student._

* * *

In the classroom, a chill ran down Kotone's spine as she packed up to go to her dorm room. She had a bad feeling about her future . . .

* * *

Laia watched the students assembled, waiting for Ethan and Hyuga to show up so she could point out the Newman girl. She was currently sitting on one of the few capable-looking men that had passed, who was spitting obscenities at her. When the pair walked over, she pointed out the teenager.

"That's her," Laia announced. Hyuga nodded sagely while Ethan simply gaped.

"What sort of person comes armed for their first class?" Ethan sputtered indignantly. Both of them took a better look. She was indeed armed, with a Double Saber and a Splasher whip. Laia whistled, low, and Hyuga looked impressed. It took skill to wield _those _babies. Laia grinned at them, before entering the room to select her students. The Newman girl was filing her nails, but glanced up to wave at her before returning to her task. The rest of the class squeaked, like the potential victims-err, students they were. At first glance, it had seemed the purple-haired girl was quite rich, but on closer inspection, everything looked extremely well-worn, like most of the farmer's kids, though the weapons were in much better shape. Ethan and Hyuga came in discreetly.

"Well maggots!" She grinned at them vividly. "My first impression of you is . . . you all suck." Most of them looked a bit offended. Newman however, simply resumed filing her nails, clearly dismissing her opinion. Laia planted her hands on her hips. "And only one of you people is actually armed. That is a damn shame." She pointed to the Newman. "And you, get off him, he ain't a chair." The girl complied with a light shrug, moving to lean against a wall. The boy shot her a filthy look, which she returned with a frosty glare. "But really, showing off doesn't help you here. You can't possibly know how to use those." The girl stared at her chillingly, before raising an eyebrow. Tossing a coin the size of her fingernail into the air, the purple-haired girl struck it with Splasher, sending it spinning into Laia's hand. Laia looked at the coin seriously. It was tiny, just barely visible, a perfect circle in the center of the disk. "I stand corrected." Laia pocketed the disk. "So, introduce yourselves. What are your likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams, etcetera. Hop to it!" Hyuga and Ethan surreptitiously sat down, as they introduced themselves one after the other. Finally, the purple-haired girl stepped up, the last person to do so.

"My name is Kotone. I like things, but don't much like people. My hobbies . . ." She paused. "Well, my hobbies would make you question my sanity, and my dreams?" Kotone looked around. "Well, if I'm at a mercenary school, my dreams are rather obvious." All this was said in a dry, deadpan tone, and her expression never changed. Laia coughed. There was an actual Newman with spunk _and_ functioning sarcasm mode. _Sweet!_ Laia gave her a sharp look.

"A smartass I see." Laia clapped her hands together. "Let's get moving, shall we?"

* * *

Hyuga and Ethan watched as Kotone was knocked down, her weapons skittering away from her. They winced sympathetically. However, Kotone managed to stand up and dove for her whip, bringing it around to counter Laia's sword expertly. A cartwheel brought her to her saber. Using her foot, she sent it spinning up before stabbing it in the dirt to block another hit. Hyuga quietly applauded her skill and daring. The look on Laia's face was _murderous._

* * *

Kotone hit the ground again. She forced herself into a handstand, and then back flipped away. There were bruises all over her body by this point. Kotone caught the flat of the blade with her palm, forcibly disarming Laia and yanking her forward to land a hit on her shoulder, charged with her electrical TECHNIC. Kotone was forced back by Laia rudely, hitting the ground with a quiet 'oomph'. _Again._ Hyuga nodded at Ethan, smiling warmly as the teenager sat down next to him.

"Still at it?" Ethan muttered. "By the Holy Light, does that girl ever stay _down_?" Hyuga shrugged.

"I'm enjoying the show." He drawled softly, as Kotone's torn shirt exposed her midsection. Ethan sighed.

"Pervy bastard." Ethan sighed again, settling down with a bag of popcorn, fending off Hyuga's attempts to take some.

* * *

Laia fumed quietly. This girl was worse than Ethan! Seriously, who got up after a concussion?! The familiar glow of a Resta TECHNIC made her groan faintly. Figures. After what seemed like forever, she finally clocked the girl over the head, knocking her out.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Headmaster?" Hyuga asked politely, closing the door behind him. Nav grinned at him, making the young man blink and swallow nervously. "Um, Headmaster?" Nav waved him into a seat. Hyuga sat, a slow feeling of dread creeping up in his mind.

"Yes, yes I did," Nav agreed. Waving a hand, a video of the fight he had observed earlier made him grimace. "Now, I've already talked to Laia and she's agreed, if a bit reluctantly, to the idea." Hyuga winced.

"What idea?" Hyuga asked, half-fearing the answer.

"Well, Ethan was our initial candidate, but you are the better swordsman, so the job was passed to you." Nav said encouragingly. "The Alliance Military and the Communion have been having a huge success with their apprenticeship programs you see, and I was thinking perhaps that we could do something like that." Hyuga stared blankly at him. He was _joking_.

"Me?" If his voice squeaked, he'd deny it. Forever. "Why not Ethan – or – or Laia? Hell, Leo would do better!" Hyuga protested, wanting nothing more to back up and run. Him, a teacher? He'd end up slaughtering the poor slip of a thing! Nav coughed delicately.

"Do you really want Laia's attention and – well –" Nav floundered for a moment, and then sighed – "Drill Sergeant Tactics on a single person?" Hyuga paused to take in the idea. At the image of a bloody corpse, he shuddered, and put his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, not Laia. But Ethan? Leo?" He pleaded, feeling a bit trapped.

"Leo is away on a long-term assignment and Ethan . . . Do you trust Ethan with this job? Teaching someone, not just hacking them into bits?" Nav asked, amused at the young Casanova's tactics. Hyuga paused again.

Ethan + New Apprentice = Very, Very _Dead_ New Apprentice.

Hyuga coughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Point made," He mumbled. "But Laia's going to kill me, just so you know," He warned, shivering. _I'm so dead._

* * *

_Rappy - A bird said to be good luck to the one who sees it._

_Beast - A humanoid race. A physically superior race._

_Newman-Elfish race. Faster reflexes and minds, but lower physical strength._

_TECHNIC - Magic_


	2. Chapter 2

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 2

* * *

Kotone rubbed her left arm nervously, fiddling with her saber. She had been dumped here by a grumpy-looking Laia, who had given her no explanation as to what the hell she was doing in an empty training room. Luckily for her, Kotone had managed to snag breakfast, a bit of toast and juice. The sound of someone gently knocking had her looking at the door, which opened to reveal a pretty-looking, white-haired man of a few years older than her. He gave her a friendly smile, which she returned half-heartedly.

"Oh, now don't look like someone dropped you off for execution," The man told her warmly. Despite herself, she smiled shyly back at him. "I'm going to guess Laia tried to drag you hear without breakfast?" Kotone nodded, blushing. "Well then, let's get you fed." Kotone got up, double-checking her weapons and following after him. He sat her down at a table. "Now, my name is Hyuga Ryght, and I'll be your teacher." Kotone's eyes snapped up to his own in mild alarm. "I don't bite," Hyuga said dryly, receiving a tiny smile in return. "Introduce yourself, properly. As amusing as your initial introduction was, I need to know a little bit more than that, as I'll be your only teacher, and you my only student." The waitress stopped by, giving Hyuga a flirty smile, and Kotone a small scowl.

"What can I get you?" She asked politely, keeping her back turned away from the Newman. Hyuga grasped Kotone's hand.

"Do pancakes sound alright to you?" Hyuga asked her softly. Kotone nodded, keeping her head down so he couldn't see her scowl. She had hoped that this place would be better than Parum, but it looked like wishful thinking. "Well then, my _student_ and I will be having pancakes." Hyuga grabbed the CAST's arm as she made to leave. "And if you dare offend or upset my student again, I will make your life _very_ difficult from now on, is that understood?" Kotone tried not to smile. Hyuga moved his chair around to settle next to her. "Hey," He murmured softly. "Don't worry about her, she's just an idiot. Why they let CAST Supremacists work in a mostly human restaurant is beyond me," Hyuga muttered sourly. "As my student, I won't let anyone hurt you in any way that would be detrimental to your health, alright?" Kotone nodded, quietly. "Now, how about that introduction?" Hyuga grinned at the alarmed look on her face. "I said I didn't bite." He reminded her. Kotone sniffed and nodded, skeptical.

"My name's Kotone, I'm disowned, so no family name." She started, softly. Hyuga squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I like to cook and collect weapons; I don't really much like people, especially stalkers." She shivered faintly. "My hobbies . . . Um. Well, I usually end up practicing my weapons skills or sketching pictures, and sometimes I read history books," She admitted with a nervous smile. Hyuga smiled encouragingly. "Uh . . . I don't really have much in the way of dreams, aside from making it into the GUARDIANS, and being the first whip specialist to win the annual weapons competition on Neudaiz." Kotone said sheepishly. Hyuga barely spared the waitress a glance as she returned with two plates of steaming pancakes, only bothering to check them for any surprises before handing her a fork.

"Well then, eat up Miss Kotone!" He chirped brightly, taking a bite of his own food. She complied, digging into the meal enthusiastically. "Unfortunately, I'm a sword fighter, so you'll have to learn how to use one. I won't be much help to you for whips and the like." Kotone nodded and swallowed her mouthful, taking a swig of the orange juice that came with breakfast.

"I can use a sword," She told him. "Not as well as a whip or a dual saber, mind you, but I can use one." Kotone took another bite. "My brother works for the Communion, so he used to practice all the time in the mornings before going to work." Kotone smiled sheepishly at him. "He adopted me, but he's not old enough for me to call him dad." Hyuga nodded, interested. He swallowed his bite of food, and waved his hand a bit. "Huh?" She stared at him blankly.

"How much do you know?" Hyuga clarified, after finishing his bit of pancake.

"Oh!" Kotone flushed a bit. "Well, I know most of the basic stances. I had to leave after that for school," Kotone answered, mopping up some syrup with a small wedge of pancake. "I could probably show you later," She offered helpfully. Hyuga smiled at her again. If she was like this all the time, he wouldn't have a problem with her as student. She finished up the last bit on her plate. "Are you done?" She asked him, pointing at his half-finished plate. Hyuga nodded. "Can I have it?" She blushed again, with good reason. Those pancakes weren't small by any means.

"Sure." He pushed his plate to her side. Damn, that girl could _eat_. Kotone proceeded to continue eating his plate. "Now, you already know my name, but not much else." Hyuga explained himself to her, a bit pleased to actually introduce himself to someone. Most of the time, people already knew his reputation. "And . . . Well . . ." Hyuga laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. A dry laugh made them both look up. Ethan walked over, tilting his hand in a jaunty wave.

"He's neglected to inform you that he's a flirt." Ethan slid into the only free seat next to them. "Ethan Waber." Kotone politely shook his hand.

"Kotone." She turned her questioning gaze on him. Hyuga grinned shamelessly.

"Guilty as charged." He admitted. "But it's better than Laia's Drill Sergeant Nasty attitude." He took in his pupil's dubious expression. "I do have my restrictions. Family of this idiot is one of them." Ignoring Ethan's indignant squawk, he smiled at her again. "But since you are my student, I will refrain from such unprofessional behavior during work." Kotone nodded seriously.

"That's good." Kotone agreed, finishing up the rest of her pancakes. "So what do we do first, Mr. Ryght?" Kotone asked politely. Ethan burst into uncontrolled giggles while Hyuga glared at him. Kotone's lips twitched.

"She – hic – makes you sound respectable!" Ethan giggled, burying his face in his arms. Hyuga proceeded to knock him out of his chair, using his foot to sweep the legs of the seat back. "Hey!"

"Hyuga." His voice was firm. "Or at least, Mr. Hyuga, if you have problems with the first one." He added at her embarrassed-looking expression. "Though why the first one is a problem, I'm not quite sure." Kotone blushed harder.

"Calling a person by their first name at home traditionally meant that you were – Um." Her cheeks deepened. "Sexually active with them." Hyuga flushed, and even Ethan blushed, sliding an amused look at Hyuga.

"Well . . ." Hyuga trailed off, knocking a still giggly Ethan back on the floor when he attempted to sit back on his chair.

"Knock it_ off, _asshole!" Hyuga offered her his hand, ignoring Ethan's outraged exclamation, placing the bill and change on the table. Kotone took it, nervously, as he led her out of the restaurant.

"Let's start with what you'll need for my class, hmm Miss Kotone?"

* * *

So, here's chapter 2. Tell me if you like it!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

Hyuga smiled at her slightly openmouthed expression as she wandered around the weapons racks. She cast a longing look at the Whip and Saber sections, but obediently gravitated towards the basic Swords and Twin Sabers.

"As your teacher, any weapons directly related to our classes will be purchased by me." When she opened her mouth to protest, he held up a hand. Kotone fell dead silent, respectfully. _I could get used to that,_ Hyuga thought wryly to himself. "You are my personal apprentice, and as such, I will see to it that you have the absolute best. GUARDIANS students don't have much in the way of pocket money, I remember that one well." Kotone blushed a bit. "If you insist on paying me back, then you can wait until you're a GUARDIAN yourself and accompany me on missions." Hyuga led her to a weapons rack near the back. "These are some of the finest blades despite their prices. They're only that cheap because they were made here, or nobody bothered to upgrade them." Hyuga allowed her to observe the blades, watching her with a mildly interested expression as she pulled out a Gigush. Tossing a disk, that was nearby just for this purpose, into the air, she brought it down to cut the disk in half. Pleased, she passed it off to him. He held back, watching her go after the one-handed and Twin-blade Sabers. She would need those, and thank the Holy Light she knew that. He hated explaining himself twice.

A set of Twin Sabers and a Pallasch later, and Kotone came back to him, gingerly taking them off of his hands, to his protests.

"If you're buying me this stuff, you need your hands free," She reminded him tartly. He sighed, but conceded the point. The shopkeeper delightedly fetched the sword sheaths and belts, instructing Kotone to lay them on the table. Kotone looked a bit pointedly at the table, trying to ignore the sweet call of the Whips and Double Sabers. Hyuga chuckled lightly at her resistance, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"The ones here aren't the best," He murmured into her ear quietly enough for her to hear. "Neudaiz has a black market with better quality Whips and Double Sabers. If you behave, I'll take you there during the holiday." Kotone lit up, and she gave him a vivid smile. Hyuga smiled at her again, squeezing the thin shoulder affectionately. He heard her hum softly under her breath, and smothered another chuckle. She really loved her weapons.

Such a cute girl. It really was a shame that he couldn't flirt with her.

* * *

Hyuga paid for all of the weapons, and he steered her over to TECHNICs section. She browsed about for a bit, scanning the titles for a new TECHNIC she didn't have. The sleeve slid off one of her shoulders, showing him all of the TECHNICs she knew, neatly inked into her left side. The purple-haired girl slid it back up hastily, before continuing to browse. She settled on a simple healing TECHNIC, scampering back with the book of instructions. Hyuga wisely refrained from mentioning the tattoos until they were heading to her dorm room, carrying the rest of the supplies he had bought her, despite her many protests. He tapped her shoulder once, right over the tattoos, and she paled slightly, and shook her head, pointing at the walls. Hyuga pressed his lips together into a mild frown. He had forgotten about the listening devices in the dorms. After setting the weapons down in the storage room, where Kotone gently directed him to place various weapons, he stretched a bit, observing the barren rooms with a frown. Most people would spend at least a little on sprucing up the place.

"Come with me. You don't yet know where my room is, so I'll show you, just in case something happens or you just want to talk." She nodded quickly, following him to his room after securely locking her own. His pace was brisk but easy to follow. She touched the hilt of her new sword, set over her left shoulder to right hip nervously, following him into his room. It was large and spacious, and he waved her into a seat, locking the door shut. "Who did those for you?" He asked finally, setting up a pot of water to boil. "Tea?" He offered.

"Yes please," Kotone murmured softly. "A friend of my parents did. My brother once joked that with all of the TECHNICs I knew, I could rival the Divine Maiden." Amusement laced her tone. "I shoved him into a garbage can." Hyuga snickered, despite himself. He fell silent again, opening the cupboard, moving aside the boxes of spices.

"How long have they been there?" He asked, pulling out various teabags. "Mint, Chamomile, Chai, Honey, or Peppermint?"

"Peppermint." She answered automatically, her hand gripping her shoulder, her thumb running against the markings. "I've been getting them there since I was three, I think. Either three or four, I remember that it hurt a lot the first time." A casual brush of her hand over the mark once more and she let go. Hyuga eyed the pot, which was almost hot enough to pull off, trying not to scowl.

"I'd say. TECHNIC marks are risky to have and make. They were restricted a few years ago," He added idly. "Only a few people have the skill to make TECHNIC marks. I could probably get a waiver, if you want to continue that practice." Hyuga added gently. "How many scoops of sugar?" He asked pouring the hot liquid into two cups, dumping a Peppermint teabag and a Mint teabag into separate mugs.

"One scoop please," Kotone murmured, frowning. "I thought that they were completely outlawed?" Hyuga stirred her cup of tea with sugar, and placed it next to her. He sat down across from her, after fetching a list.

"They were going to be, but the Communion talked them down to registering instead." He handed her the list. "Point him or her out if you will." Kotone scanned the paper.

"That one there. Why would I need a wavier?" She asked, taking the hot mug into her hands after tapping the name. In the face of the chill of January, it was welcome to simply wrap her hands around a hot mug of steaming tea.

"It's been strongly advised against GUARDIANS getting a tattoo," Hyuga explained patiently. "Especially since the crafting skill required is ridiculously high. You said you've been receiving these since you were three?" Kotone nodded. "That's unusual. It's highly unadvised to recive a TECHNIC under the age of five. Are you sure? This man doesn't seem to take requests." At her confused look, he added, "All makers have been required to hand in a sheet with all of their clients, but I've never seen a Kotone on any of them. He's been asked before, and he refused. I'll see to it that you can visit him later." Kotone nodded, glancing around.

"Do I show you here or . . . ?" Kotone looked at him nervously. Hyuga shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Close-quarters combat is covered later," He informed her amusedly. "We'll go downstairs. There's a training room there I have that's reserved for our use only." He finished up his cup of tea, watching her sip at the cooling liquid. When she finished, he put the mugs in the sink, washing them out quickly. Drying his hands on a towel, he grabbed his wallet from where he left it on the side table next to the door, rifling through its contents. "This is the key card to the training room. Try not to lose it."

* * *

Once outside, he gestured towards the stairs. "I don't much like the elevators," He confessed to her. As they traveled down the stairs, he took in her appearance. She wore a plain, slightly oversized blue t-shirt and jeans, her sneakers well-worn. Her swords were hanging on her body. He frowned. Most Neudaiz citizens prided themselves on never having a weapon on them, save for the Armed Servants. What trouble did she get into to openly display them?

"You're they only student I've seen that doesn't use the Hyperspace Storage System. Is there a reason?" Kotone gave him a sheepish smile.

"I couldn't afford one, and by the time I could, I'd gotten used to the feel of having my weapons on my body." Kotone's answer was blunt. Hyuga opened the door, holding it for her. He nodded. It did feel strange, not carrying your weapons after you had started.

"Ah. After you." Hyuga decided not to press the issue.

* * *

This was going to be up tommorrow, but in honor of my first reviewer, it's being put up today!

In answer to her statement about a particular part of chapter two, here it is!

Neudaiz is like Japan, but I'm tossing in a few changes, as it's an entirely different solar system and nearly 500 years to its name. Kotone comes from a smaller village with very old-fashioned rules, and while most of Neudaiz has moved on, where she is from has not.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

Kotone stepped into the center of the room, watching him warily. Hyuga snorted in amusement.

"I won't attack without warning Miss Kotone," Hyuga's voice was slightly reproachful, whilst his eyes sparkled with mirth. "Not until you learn to have enough spatial awareness to know where I am at all times." He sat down, and she followed suit. "What I'm going to tell you is your current schedule until later notice." Kotone instantly started digging around in her bag to pull out a notebook and pen. Hyuga's lips quirked up into an involuntary smile, and he smothered a laugh. _Cute._

"Every Monday, we'll work on class work, the things that you'll want to sleep through but have to be covered. That will be done at my room unless I say otherwise." Kotone's pen zipped across her paper. "Tuesdays we'll work on your forms with two-handed swords. Wednesdays, one-handed blades, and Thursdays, dual one-hand blades. Fridays, you'll spar with me, block and dodge until I say otherwise. Saturdays are entirely devoted to hand-to-hand combat and physical training. You'll have Sundays off unless you get in trouble, of which then I'll oversee any punishments I give you." He waited until the small pen stopped, and those pale lavender eyes looked at him again. "I expect you here or my room by seven to eight in the mornings, and if you get in trouble, six." She nodded. "I'll work you until you can't walk, or, in the case of class work, pass out from boredom."

Kotone coughed, struggling with her laughter. "This week, I'll get a basic grounding on what you know in terms of swords, both one-handed and two-handed." He smiled at her, and she took that as her cue to put her things away and take her sword (which she had set across her knees as a writing desk) and take her stance. Kotone deposited a brightly colored bracelet on the ground and took a stance above it in the most basic form of the Neudaiz-style Ryōte Sword Form. He inspected it closely, and nodded in approval. It was off, but not as much as he had expected from only observation. He simply hoped her Katate and Nijū were as good. He stepped behind her.

"Good," He praised her gently. "Move this elbow a little closer in," He placed one hand on her hip, twisting her body slightly, "Turn your body this way." He pressed her thigh softly. "Move this foot a little bit forward. Further . . . good." He stepped back. Kotone didn't move, holding the position obediently. "And lower your sword." Kotone's grip adjusted quickly and she lowered the blade slowly until the tip rested against the ground. "Don't adjust your grip, it could be dangerous. Give me your sword and take one lap around the training room."

Kotone passed the blade to him hilt-first and set off on a steady pace. She returned to her little bracelet and without being told, took up the exact same stance after retrieving her blade. Hyuga marked her stance and nodded. "Good. One more lap and retake the stance. Take the blade with you this time." She complied, and continued, retaking her stance as dictated. Once he was sure it was flawless, he nodded. "Next form." She shifted her feet a bit further, spun the blade to guard in a diagonal to her body, and braced the blade against her left hand. Hyuga stepped behind her again.

"This way." He murmured, tilting the blade slightly. "And this should be . . ."

* * *

Six hours (and a lunch break) found Kotone panting for air, shaking slightly. Her arms, legs, and chest burned with the strain of carrying such a heavy weapon. Her chest heaved up and down, as she gratefully bent over, taking in the air. Hyuga smiled in amusement, watching her breathe. He took the blade from her, and waited until she could look at him.

"What's wrong with this form?" He asked her, a touch dryly. "A wrong answer and you owe me another lap." She glared at him weakly.

"Your feet are too far apart," She muttered, after walking around once. "Your arms are too far from your body." She pointed out the flaws, and when she was done he beamed at her.

"Correct! How about this one?" He shifted into the next form, and Kotone pointed out the flaws again. She occasionally missed a flaw, earning her several laps. An hour later, and they were both taking a drink. "Hmm. Three o'clock." He helped her stand. "Take a hot shower," He advised her. "Or a bath. Stay in the water for at least three minutes. Stretch after, and you won't feel stiff tomorrow." She flashed him a grateful smile. "Care for some food or are you going to take my advice first?"

"I think I'll get something to eat," Kotone muttered, strapping on her weapons, feeling a slight gnawing at her stomach.

* * *

Hyuga fiddled with his lesson sheet, waiting for Ethan to show up. He wouldn't even wait, knowing he was in for a ribbing, but he had some questions.

"Hey there teacher!" Ethan teased. "How was your day?" Hyuga gave him a pointed look. Ethan caught the look and frowned. "What?" He glanced over his shoulder.

"Don't call me that," Hyuga said darkly. "I'm still trying to get to terms with it." Ethan snickered. "Hey, do you know where the student waiver forms are?" A cheerful voice made them jump slightly.

"They're in the GUARDIANS Headquarters. Mina keeps track of them." A familiar, rich voice greeted them. "Long time no see boys." Karen grinned at them. "What's this about teaching?" Hyuga groaned while Ethan smirked.

"I've got an apprentice," Hyuga confessed faintly. Karen toppled out of the chair she had sat in.

"Really? You?" She sputtered. Ethan burst out laughing again as Karen clambered back into her seat, staring at him wide-eyed. "When?"

"Officially, today. I was informed of this yesterday," He added dryly before she could open her mouth. "Don't carp." Karen waited, staring at him. Hyuga tried to ignore this, scribbling down his notes. _Get a TECHNIC MARK wavier from Mina._ He chewed his bottom lip, scribbling down some more notes for himself._ Establish her skill with other weapons. Take her to a doctor for a visual physical._ After some other notes, he gave into his urge to scowl at Karen. "What?" He asked sharply, in the same voice he had used on his cute little student when she had stared at him during practice. Karen and Ethan both blinked.

"I'm not saying." Karen decided. Hyuga groaned, his head hitting the desk. _I thought I left the closed-mouthed person taking a bath. Damn it._

"Fine. I'll see the two of you later. I have some work to do." He left, grumbling.

"Not even one flirty comment." Ethan sounded surprised.

"He's still in teacher mode. What did you expect?"

* * *

Ryōte - Two-handed

Katate - One-handed

Nijū - Dual


	5. Chapter 5

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 5

* * *

Hyuga toweled off his hair, tossing the small white fabric over his shoulder as he exited the shower. Glancing at the clock, he smiled. Six-thirty. He had thirty minutes to get to the training room. Dressing, he grabbed his lunch. Mm. Sushi . . .

* * *

Kotone swung the blade carefully, practicing her forms. She had come in half an hour early to get some practice in. She was so going to _die_ during the training session today. Saturday. She shuddered. _Doomed._ The door hissed open, and she automatically turned to face him.

"Morning Mr. Hyuga." She answered modestly. Hyuga smiled at her warmly.

"Morning Miss Kotone." He waved her over. "This is your TECHNIC mark wavier. Sign here." She obeyed, quickly signing. "Do well, and we'll go to Neudaiz next month to go see him." She nodded, brightening. "Maybe we'll stop by the market as well." Kotone lit up even more. "Help me lay these out. We'll be covering how to fall and block hits." After the mats were laid down, he settled her in front of him, pulling her delicately against his body. "Relax. I know it's difficult, but relax. Tense muscles will get you hurt."

* * *

An hour later found Kotone nursing light bruises. Who knew that falling was so _difficult_? Mr. Hyuga had been endlessly patient, repeatedly showing her the forms, and even cheerfully participating. Her thoughts were distracted when a lacquered box came into view. Yay! Sushi!

"You should eat," He informed her gently. Kotone nodded, munching aimlessly on a piece of cold-baked fish.

"Thanks," She murmured. Her mind was spinning, when he pulled a rack of weapons out from the basic training room next door. _Oh Holy Light please let this not be a new 'training'._

"I need to establish how good you are with other weapons," He informed his stiff student, laughingly reading her panic through her clenched fists and wide eyes. _Another subject to teach on Mondays,_ Hyuga decided. "Let's start with the heavier weapons first. You can save showing off for last." Kotone nodded, sighing softly in relief before taking up an axe. She tested its weight, trying to recall the axe-wielders she'd seen guarding the ruins of the Divine City. Pulling her feet together, she copied the stance as best as she could from the fuzzy memories of childhood.

Hyuga observed the off-balance stance and nodded to himself. It was a good attempt at the position, and for that he was a bit grateful. The Divine City guards were better than her clumsy form, but when it came to it, he was sure that she could at least block. He watched her shakily set a block, clearly unused to the movements and weight. She frowned slightly at herself, clearly guessing the next move. Poor dear.

_Not a good option. Too heavy._

Her next attempt, the Fists, went more smoothly. She simply adjusted to the fighting style all Newmans were taught for self-defense without weapons. He checked it off on his list.

_Basic defense, check. Don't ask Nav for help._ Ever.

Spears were another easy one. She used it well, but not exceptionally so, or even as well as she had taken to swords.

_Basics only. Talk to Leo._

Daggers were a bit tricky, but she worked fine with only one.

_Self-defense, not good with offense. Tonnio?_

Claws . . . She just looked at them a bit blankly, but strapped them on. She was easily nervous, but practiced a bit with them, enough for Hyuga to see a latent future with them.

_Talk to Tonnio about supplementary fighting with Claws._

Slicers were used professionally, and Hyuga could see a basic whip style with them.

_Have Kotone practice with them. Potential is there._

She had no skill with Rifles, Laser Cannons, Grenades, or Shotguns.

_Virtually useless. Emergency only. Though her _having _one might be an emergency in and of itself._

She refused to even touch the Machine Guns, and stared at the Crossbow cross-eyed.

_Not happening._

She was rather good with the Dual and One-handed Handguns.

_Possible future with them. See Maya._

She was decent with Cards, and better with Longbows.

_Drag June over once a month for assistance._

She made a slight face at the R-MAGs and he shook his head.

_S__he doesn't need them really_.

She had plenty of TECHNICS, and as such, overloaded the Rods and Wands. Her TECH-MAGs were quite skilled, but she was better with simply casting TECHNICS.

_TECH-MAGs only. Remind her to keep up a false front and carry a TECH-MAG at all times for her safety._

Kotone took out her whip, leaving the weapons where they were, and began to show him a beautiful display of skill and defensive maneuvers. Attack was aggressive, but fluid. Hyuga couldn't place the style, but then, most Whip specialists often had to make their own style, as there hadn't been much in the way of teaching anyone. You either got it, or you didn't. Double Sabers were something he was skilled at, but by no means a master. However, Hyuga could confidently say that Kotone was the closest thing to a master he'd ever met. He simply nodded.

_Don't let her lose her edge._

"Very good." Her display with the Saber hinted towards the Communion-taught style, something that he could work with.

_Get a Communion member to oversee her skill._ "Even better. You learn with your brother?" Kotone shook her head.

"Observation. When I was young enough to qualify for nursery, I was always more interested in watching the Weapons Mistresses. One of them caught me watching, and she taught me all of my moves with the Double Saber. The whip I developed on my own." Hyuga nodded, listening intently. "She wasn't as kind as you." Kotone added shyly. Hyuga blushed, thrilled at the compliment.

"You flatter me Miss Kotone," He teased, hiding how much that simple statement pleased him. They cleaned up, and Hyuga placed a Spear, Twin and Solo Claws, a pair of Solo Daggers, Slicer, Dual and Solo Handguns, a Longbow, and a TECH-MAG on the shelf. "We'll work on some basic skill for those." He told her softly, and she nodded. "Sit down." Kotone fetched her notebook, and he concealed a smile. "Next week, I'm going to bring a few companions of mine over. Tonnio Rhima is 26 years old, despite his looks, and a Claws/Dagger specialist. He'll teach you once a month along with sword training. Keep your mouth shut even if he insults you. He'll do that a lot, and he does mean well. He'll come by Tuesday."

"June Dia Oerba is a Card and Longbow specialist. I'm better with Rifles, sadly, so she'll teach you Wednesday." She duly recorded his words. "Leo will come by on Thursday. He's out on a mission right now, so your Spear training will be suspended. Don't doubt this, you've got good Spear work, and he knows some decent sword work I haven't wheedled out of him yet." Kotone smiled shyly and her pen paused. "Maya's the best with Handguns, and Rods, but I'll make something up for the Rods. There's no need to spread you can cast without a channel. She'll come by Friday. Ethan and Laia will come by to help whenever they can spare. This will only happen once a month. Slicers, Whips, and Double Sabers will be done on Saturday. You have enough skill that practice is more than enough. If you have any trouble, I'm sure that you can ask them. I'll observe, and probably learn with you. I know the basics for just about everything, and I'll lend a hand when necessary. Any questions?" Kotone shook her head.

"No. Thank you for helping me," She murmured quietly.

"You're my student. It's my responsibility – and in this case, my pleasure – to help you." Hyuga offered her his hand, which she took gratefully. "Stretch and then I'll see how good your endurance is."

* * *

Little Note on her skill with various weapons:

They're all ones that I like and use regularly.


	6. Chapter 6

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 6

* * *

Hyuga left his student at her front door, walking briskly to GUARDIANS Headquarters. He waved to Mina, heading over to the office. He fished a piece of paper he had in his back pocket out, along with a pen. Flipping through the large phonebook, he found his companions' work numbers and scribbled them down. He'd call Tonnio first. He loved tormenting people, especially when he could do it for free. He'd never taught, but that didn't say he couldn't. Tonnio had taught him how to dodge, and dodge _fast_. June would give the most trouble, so he saved her for last. He finished up and turned to face a welcome surprise.

"Leo! You're back early!" Hyuga gave his companion a large smile, waving at him. Leo smiled back, rubbing his back.

"Well, I got lucky," Leo admitted, still rubbing. "The rouges were a little more helpful than we anticipated. Not that it saved me from falling down a flight of stairs. What's up?" Here Hyuga gave him a sheepish smile as he tucked the paper away for later. "Uh-oh. What crazy scheme do you want my help for?" Hyuga laughed this time.

"Actually, it's a teaching request." At Leo's stern look he waved his hands a bit frantically. "Not for me!" Leo relaxed slightly. "I think it's best if I tell you over a cup of coffee."

* * *

Leo drank the strong brew, thinking over his friend's request. He'd managed to keep a straight face at the fact Hyuga had a student, much less a female one, and when someone nearby had remarked how sorry he felt for her to have a pervert for a teacher, Hyuga had glared him down. The words the teen had said had been accompanied by a clipped, angry tone that rivaled Mary at her worst.

"_If you're daring to imply that anything other than a teacher-student relationship is my prerogative, I recommend you keep quiet. She is my _student_. Not someone that bends over for every Tom, Dick, and Harry. Suggest such again, and I will cut your tongue out, as it clearly has no use in your body."_

Leo would rather eat his spears than see _that_ again. But in an odd way, that actually reassured him that taking up Ryght's offer was a good one. A student – apprentice actually – who had basic spear-skill, and good observation. A _good_ student, that Hyuga already cared for deeply.

"_You can say no Leo," Hyuga added when Leo looked at him skeptically. "Just come by once, and see if you can teach her. If you can't, I'm sure she'll understand."_

He was only asking for Leo to stop by every third Thursday starting with the one coming up and to call if he couldn't stop by. It seemed only fair to at least try to teach the young lady once or twice, and then form his opinion. _Yes. I'll give her a chance. After all, how often does _Hyuga_ come by asking for a favor?_ A favor he would collect on later. Hyuga was an absolute _bitch_ with his favors.

"I'll stop by at six-thirty Thursday morning," Leo offered. Hyuga beamed at him.

"Great!" And in that cheerful tone, Leo could hear genuine delight.

* * *

"_Tonnio Rhima."_ Hyuga smiled delicately.

"Hey Tonnio. You free for a chat?" Hyuga asked, propping his feet up. A sardonic snort from the other side.

"_I'm always free at this hour Hyuga. What's it you want?"_ Tonnio sounded wryly amused at the formality.

"I'm calling in a favor, actually." Hyuga admitted.

* * *

Tonnio frowned slightly at his phone. Hyuga guarded favors like his life. What could be so important? "I'm listening."

"_If you haven't heard yet, I've got myself a new student."_ Tonnio's eyebrows shot up in his surprise. Him? A student? Since when? _"I've had her since this Monday, and I've been ironing out some kinks."_ Hyuga sounded dry and a bit amused.

"Her? No, wait, what kinks?" Tonnio asked, twirling a pen rapidly around his fingers. A _female_ student, no less. If it was anything like the BASIC Saber crash-course Hyuga had given him, he felt sorry for her.

"_I want you to teach her every once in a while."_ Hyuga was laughing at him, he'd bet his weapons. He choked slightly, dropping his pen.

"And what can I teach her that you can't?" Tonnio sputtered, glancing around. Nobody in sight to see his loss of composure. Good. He scooped up his pen quickly, hiding the evidence.

"_Claws and Daggers."_ Hyuga's answer was painfully blunt. _"She's got some skill with them, and I'd prefer that if she dies, it's because of something completely out of her control, instead of her simply being unable to fight with a close-range weapon."_ Tonnio blinked. That wasn't what he had expected out of this conversation.

"How often?" The words were out of his mouth before he could even stop it. _No! _Bad_ Tonnio! You don't _want_ to teach!_ When Hyuga spoke again, he sounded even more amused. Damn mindreader.

"_Starting this Tuesday, and every third Tuesday after that."_ Hyuga was most certainly laughing at him now. _"Just come by. And even if you say no, you at least get to meet my student."_ Tonnio grimaced.

"One less favor?" Tonnio confirmed.

"_One less, even if you don't agree to teach."_ Hyuga agreed. Tonnio groaned quietly to himself. If she was half as manipulative as her teacher, he was _**screwed.**_

"Fine," Tonnio groaned. "Hook, line, and sinker, you mother-"

"_Language,"_ Hyuga chided.

* * *

"_Maya!"_ Hyuga sounded entirely too cheerful.

"What are you plotting?" Maya was automatically wary. Rueful laughter on the other end as she sat down. Hyuga never called, instead preferring to stop by and chat face-to-face. It must be important.

"_I'm sure by now you are aware I have a student?"_ Hyuga drawled. A soft 'clunk' made her imagine him propping his feet up on his small coffee table, flipping through a folder. The soft shuffle of papers confirmed her image.

"I thought Karen was joking," Maya admitted honestly. Her mind raced. What would he want out of her?

"_Teach Kotone how to use Handguns."_ The cheerful comment made her blink.

"Not Rods or Wands?" There was an abrupt, chilly silence on Hyuga's end that made her shiver heavily.

"_She can't channel TECHNICs through either."_ There was a note of finality in his tone that made her want to drop the subject. _"She's alright with TECH-MAGs."_ His voice regained its bubbly quality. _"How does this Friday and every third after that sound?"_ Maya chewed her pencil eraser, staring blankly into space. _"She's a good student, and very observant."_ Maya smiled. His voice was full of pride and delight at his student. Maya smiled at him through her phone. He already liked his student. That was a promising sign.

"I'll come by." She agreed. Her curiosity was peaked. She'd never heard of anyone incapable of using Rods or Wands but capable of TECH-MAGs. Mysteries.

She _likes_.

Maya blinked as she realized what was off about the conversation. _I don't think he invited me for a date. Wow. One week, and she's already did wonderful things to Hyuga's personality. Great!_

* * *

"_June."_ The ever-bored tone came over the phone. Hyuga grimaced.

"Hey. Can we talk?" Hyuga asked, a touch more dry than he liked. "Without you hanging up on me until I'm finished?" He added wryly at her intake of breath. "On my honor June, this isn't about a date."

* * *

June looked at her phone in disbelief. Not a date? Really? But then June remembered that Hyuga always asked face-to-face, like the old-fashioned boy he was. It was kind of endearing, actually

"Alright, spill," June grumbled, putting her phone back to her ear, watching the rouges below her barter and laugh over their wares. "What does the almighty Hyuga need?" A small, irritated snort from the other end made her blink. He usually appreciated her humor, dry as it was.

"_This isn't a social call June."_ Hyuga rebuked gently. _"This is a business call." _June's mouth dropped open. She had met Hyuga as she started, a newbie in the rouges, and the thought of him not being his flirty self (even on business) was as foreign as a blond Ethan. She'd heard rumors that Hyuga was the son of the GRM prez, but she hadn't realized that he could actually _act_ it.

"A business call?" She echoed in shock. An irritated groan. She could see Hyuga with his head in his hands.

"_Yes June, this is a business call." _Hyuga sighed from his end of the line. _"You'd owe me one less favor if you do this."_ June snorted, covering the mouth of the phone. When it came to favors, Hyuga was a complete and utter_ bastard._ His favors were rarely used, and usually meant unpleasantness for the person asked. _"No, I'm not joking honey."_ His voice dripped irritation.

"What could be so serious that you need a favor?"

"_I've got a student."_ The answer was clipped and blunt. "_She's got talent in the way of Cards and Longbows."_ June was sure that she was going to dread the next words out of his mouth._ "Can you come by once a month to teach her?"_ June's mind screeched to a halt. No. Freaking. Way. She and students didn't end well. This was a disaster in the making. Before she could open her mouth, he overrode her objections. _"She's a good girl, and knows how to keep her mouth shut June. She won't ask." _June gingerly touched the scar that crossed over her right eye. She'd gotten the scar on her first job as a temporary rouge lookout, and it was still a sore topic.

"Ever?" The words left her mouth before she could even say no.

"_Ever."_ Hyuga agreed. June frowned. Most people might have thought teaching (or normal socialization with women) was beyond the scope of Hyuga's abilities, but she knew better. Hyuga had a way with words and people, and if he ever actually tried to seduce someone, they'd crawl into his bed like a dog. She knew. She'd nearly done so, but Hyuga didn't take advantage of women like that.

"I'll try." June agreed finally.

"_Thanks June. Come by Wednesday, and every third after that."_ Hyuga paused. _"June. She's a good kid. She'll understand."_

* * *

In honor of my first Favorite!


	7. Chapter 7

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 7

* * *

Kotone rubbed her sore arms slightly, lifting her swords up to practice once more. Even though it was Sunday, she was far from stupid. Having a Communion Weapons Master for a brother taught her the importance of drills. And that meant practice. Lots of practice. The 'until your arms fall off' variety. The door hissed open, and she spun around to face one very surprised Hyuga Ryght.

Hyuga had expected diligence from his student. He hadn't expected to see her there, practicing at six-thirty in the morning. His lips curved into an involuntary smile as she shifted a bit guiltily.

"Couldn't sleep?" Hyuga asked neutrally, summoning his own weapon and looking at her critically. "Your feet need to be further apart." Kotone obeyed almost instantly, clearly still thinking of him as her teacher. _And yes, yes I am,_ Hyuga thought amusedly to himself. He had given her the order without so much as a thought, already in the habit as if he'd been teaching her for a year, not five days. Kotone shook her head.

"I've always risen with the sun," Kotone contradicted Hyuga shyly. Hyuga nodded, taking the same stance.

"Good habit. Mind if I join you?" Hyuga asked a touch wryly. Kotone shook her head, double-checking her stance. Hyuga and Kotone resumed morning practice, the pair flowing through the maneuvers together, as Hyuga occasionally adjusted her stances, answered her various, curious questions about sword-work in general, and on occasion, praised her. Kotone soaked up his gentle teachings like a sponge, and Hyuga quietly marveled at how easy it was to teach her. It was almost as natural as breathing, in its own way. Hyuga glanced at his watch in surprise after what he had assumed to be twenty minutes. "It's almost eight. Care to join me for brunch?" He asked her, storing his weapon away. Kotone brushed her sweaty bangs out of her face and nodded, breathing heavily.

Some light flirting with the waitress got the pair a discount on the food, and Hyuga and Kotone enjoyed their meal, before returning to the training room.

* * *

Monday dawned chilling and wet. Why a colony in space needed to have all of the discomforts of the real world was beyond Kotone's comprehension. She shivered, grabbing her coziest sweater and some jeans, and met up with her teacher in front of his room at the stroke of seven. Hyuga's lips twitched slightly at his shivering student, who he invited in, pressing a cup of hot tea into her hands. She took it thankfully, and drank, ignoring her teacher's amused expression. She sat at the coffee table in his living room, blinking at the papers. _Test_ papers. Hyuga smirked slightly at her baffled and somewhat alarmed expression.

"These are assessment tests." Hyuga informed her, grinning openly. "You'll fill these out today, and I'll cover what you can't remember or don't know already. Anything you studied in the last few years should be on there." Kotone glared at her teacher sourly, but fished a pen out from the back of her jeans pocket and dragged over a stack of papers. Hyuga took up his little notebook, running down his checklist thoughtfully.

_Get Kotone her visual exam. Damn, forgot to do that one._ Hyuga grabbed a red highlighter, marking it as urgent. _Teach her the importance of body language._ He highlighted that in green, as a potential lesson plan. _Take her to Neudaiz on the holiday weekend next month._ He marked that one blue for travel. _Assessment test on all subjects._ He checked that one off, watching her gloomily write answers down with some amusement. _If she does well, give her Sundays off._ Considering that she didn't _want_ Sundays off, he blacked that one out with his handy black highlighter.

* * *

Two hours later found Hyuga finishing his grading of various exams. He had suggested Kotone get herself a meal, and was beginning to longingly wish that he'd gone with her. He stretched, feeling his spine pop unpleasantly as he did so. She had excelled in history and science, done well in math and reading, but wasn't much for psychology. Hyuga shook his head. Well, she passed in what mattered, thankfully. Though she didn't do as well in psychology, she had enough to pass, which narrowed down the fields of study he had to cover. He set those papers aside after filing them away in a folder, and stood up to go to lunch. A shy little knock at his door made him frown. He wasn't expecting company, and Ethan was on a mission. Pushing his glasses up on his nose, he walked over to the door and opened it to see his student offering him a lacquered box.

"I thought you might have wanted lunch." Kotone's voice was shy, and just a hint embarrassed, a soft blush on her cheeks. Hyuga gave the young woman a friendly smile, and waved her in, sliding his glasses off and away into their container.

"I was just about to leave, actually." He told her, smiling at her timidity. "Did you make this?" He asked her, stretching out luxuriously on his couch with an inaudible moan of pleasure. Kotone nodded, smiling a bit as she sat down on the small chair nearby.

"Yes Mr. Hyuga," She fiddled with a sleeve. "I hope I'm not bothering you, but, how did I do?" Hyuga, who was snapping apart the chopsticks, used one to point at the folder lying innocently on the table, a few sheets hanging out.

"It's not a bother, Miss Kotone. They're right there." He told her casually, before placing a piece of sashimi in his mouth. Mm. He tacked on another talent to his student's skill set: cooking. She slowly rifled through the papers, listening to her teacher enjoy his meal. She pulled out the psych test, and grimaced at the red ink. Settling on the table, she point-blank glared at it. Hyuga looked at her as she mumbled, trying to figure out what she did wrong. Grinning to himself, Hyuga washed out the small box and returned to see her still puzzling it out. He chuckled quietly to himself as he walked over, flipping one of his chairs around to straddle it, lightly touching a fingertip to the problem she was glaring at.

"This question isn't right, but it isn't wrong either." He started, noticing how she instantly turned her attentions to him. "What you did was a common mistake . . ."

* * *

An hour later found him finishing up a particularly heavy discussion on body language, with advice to work on trying to be a bit friendlier. "I don't really care if you like them. All you have to do is nod and smile in the right places and you'll do just fine."At Kotone's expected nod, he grinned at her. "See? You're already off to a great start!" At first, she looked a bit confused, and then she mock-scowled at him.

"Not funny," She muttered, lips twitching.

"You want to laugh like hell," Hyuga sang back brightly. And laugh she did.

* * *

Next Chapter: Tonnio!

Now that I'm actually getting to subjects and all that jazz, I am going to claim **_ARTISTIC LISCENCE._**I am not an expert in these subjects, especially psychology (which took me three tries to write properly). So, much like the disclaimer that I forgot to put, I have no ownership or mastery over anything that you see here.

As to how far this goes, I'll be honest.

I never actually planned to go past one chapter (Or post this at all). My inital plans (Once I decided to publish it) was to publish it all in one document, detailing her apprenticeship up to her graduation, where she gets (Spoiler has been marked out). She doesn't end up with Vivienne. That honor goes to Ian, my only male character made for Phantasy Star.

Now, rest assured I'll finish this. But once she graduates (Ignore the really, really bad pun there), so does this story. I'll probably start another one once this one is complete, which was the one I initally planned on using as my debut story. But by the time I'm finished, there will be two more stories on this website devoted to the wonderful world of Phantasy Star Universe.


	8. Chapter 8

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 8

Fair warning: There's a couple of gags in here that will show up again.

* * *

Hyuga gave Tonnio a grin as he walked off of the plane, rubbing his eyes. Hyuga slung an arm around his shoulders, which the Beast shrugged off irritably. He ignored Hyuga's muffled snicker.

"Six in the fucking morning, Hyuga. SIX!" Tonnio sounded indignant. "What reasonably sane, living, sentient and self-respecting being is up at this unholy hour on a regular basis without a cup of damn coffee?!" Hyuga and a purple haired Newman raised their hands. "You don't count jackass." He critically eyed the purple haired Newman. "This is her?" Hyuga nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Well, if she's your student then she doesn't count either." Tonnio yawned, and blinked, when a cup of coffee (the rich, black kind, not the wimpy kind) was given to him. "Cheers." He toasted her and swallowed down the steaming hot cup of rich coffee. Properly awake, he asked, "So, where do we start?" Kotone mutely pointed up the stairs to the training centers. "Figures." He started up the stairs, both of them following after him, Hyuga stifling laughter.

"So," He started once they were in the training room. "My name's Tonnio Rhima, I use Claws and Daggers, and this is my first time teaching anybody regularly. If you've met Laia, I'm like her when I do teach." Kotone glanced blankly at Hyuga, who gave a muffled snort, and she opened her mouth, clasping her hands to her chest and drawing his attention there for a few seconds before he hastily looked away.

"My name is Kotone. I like older men, especially ones with a hot temper." Kotone twirled a strand of hair around one finger, shyly. "My hobbies are flirting and asking out other men. My dreams" She scuffed a foot against the ground. ". . . Well, someone like you would be good." Tonnio blinked. _Wait. WHAT?_ At his baffled expression, she lost it, bursting into giggles at the same time as her teacher, who tried and failed to scowl at her. It took Tonnio a second to realize he'd just been had. An amused scowl crossed his features. _Clever. For a second there, I thought that she was another Hyuga._ That scared him. Hyuga was nice, but two of him? Too much. Especially a _female_ version.

"Ha, ha," He deadpanned back. "Proper introductions please?" And despite himself, he found himself liking the quiet Newman, oddness and all.

"My name is Kotone. I like to cook and collect weapons; I don't really much like people, especially stalkers." She shivered faintly. "My hobbies, well I usually end up practicing my weapons skills or sketching pictures, sometimes reading history books too. I don't really have much in the way of dreams, aside from making it into the GUARDIANS, and being the first whip specialist to win the annual weapons competition on Neudaiz." Tonnio nodded sagely. So she was a bit weird. He could live with that. After all, he had to deal with Hyuga. And Leo. And Ethan, the ass. And Liina. And . . . Hell, everybody!

"That's better." He tossed her a pair of lightweight Claws. "These shall be your best friend this morning. Strap them on." Kotone obeyed quickly, her fingers nimbly fastening the various buckles on her lower arms. _Well, at least she knows how to put them on_, Tonnio thought dryly_._ Tonnio took up the first form, and watched her critically look his form over, before taking up the position herself without a word. She stayed that way as he looked it over, giving random bits of info to her about her arrangement. With a slight start, he realized that Kotone was actually his height. Even better. He didn't have to repeatedly adjust the forms for her height, which was a plus. The young woman rarely questioned his methods and kept quiet, dutifully following his instructions. Tonnio scarcely noticed the smirk on Hyuga's face or even the time that passed as he had her move through forms and defensive maneuvers. By the time he had gotten her through the first sets, it was reaching eleven o'clock.

A round of clapping brought Tonnio out of his focus on Hyuga's student. He glanced at the clock and nearly jumped in his surprise. Five straight hours! Tonnio watched as she bowed politely to him.

"Thank you Mr. Rhima," Kotone murmured. Tonnio raised an eyebrow. Hyuga muttered the reason into his ear and he flushed.

"Mr. Tonnio," He corrected, before his mind caught up with his mouth. _Fuck you Hyuga. Figures _you'd_ have a student I'd like to teach._ Hyuga was facing away from him, obviously grinning at him while digging around in his bag.

"I brought lunch!" Hyuga chirped, handing him a large box. Opening it, Tonnio found it full of treats from Moatoob. Jerk chicken, spiced rice, fish and chips, and even some ale from the pub. Sweet! Kotone gratefully took hers, and he saw her blink. "It's food from Moatoob, as thanks for Tonnio teaching you." Kotone didn't complain, instead digging in gratefully. By the time Tonnio was done, she had devoured her entire container and half of Hyuga's. _That girl really can eat_, Tonnio decided, retrieving his jaw from the floor.

"Um. Didn't eat breakfast?" Kotone blushed furiously at his comment, whilst Hyuga simply chuckled fondly and ruffled her hair in an almost fatherly manner. Tonnio observed quietly as the young woman leaned slightly into his touch, head down. "Let's clean up and get ready to start Dagger work." Tonnio decided not to mention it.

Again, Kotone proved adept at the basics, her natural feminine flexibility adding to her speed of learning. Tonnio resumed teaching her for another three hours.

* * *

"You did well," Tonnio decided, as he hefted his bag up. Kotone smiled gratefully, rubbing her sore arms tiredly. To Hyuga, "I intend to collect on this one day." Tonnio decided, grinning lopsidedly at the pair of them. "I'll see you in three weeks."

"Goodbye," Kotone answered shyly, toying with her tank top. Hyuga grinned back at him, and Tonnio simply scowled at him.

"Thanks for coming by." Hyuga drawled wryly at the scowling adult. "I really do appreciate it," Hyuga murmured, clapping Tonnio on the shoulder. Tonnio smiled a bit at that.

"Eh, I had fun," Tonnio agreed casually, waving his hand airily. "And you better practice or I pound that skinny little butt of yours into the mats." Kotone blanched and whimpered slightly.

"Yes Mr. Tonnio," She squeaked. Tonnio smirked at her.

"Good." He turned away. _I'm really, _really_ going to enjoy teaching her. Especially the pounding part._


	9. Chapter 9

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 9

On Tonnio's smart mouth: The first time I played, I misread his 'yeah sucker' as 'Yeah Fucker'. Oops.

June Dia Oerba: The name June came from _Avatar the Last Airbender_, and Dia Oerba from _Final Fantasy XIII_

Kotone eats a lot. Just sayin'.

* * *

On Wednesday, June Dia Oerba stepped off the plane at six-thirty in the morning, rubbing her eyes. Blue eyes landed on a steaming mug of hot chocolate, held by a pretty, slim little Newman. The girl offered it to her with a silent smile. She mumbled thanks and downed the hot drink gratefully.

"Are you Ms. Oerba?" The girl, Kotone or something, asked politely. June snorted sardonically.

"Hon, you make me sound respectable. Just Miss June is fine." The girl nodded, bowing politely to her.

"Alright Miss June." She answered shyly back. "I'm Kotone, and I'm supposed to show you to the training room." Kotone waited for her affirmative nod before leading her to the training room. Hyuga was inside the room already, setting out a plate of toast and eggs for them both, along with some oatmeal for his student. Kotone eagerly dug in, humming to herself. June ate her plate thankfully.

* * *

"Done?" June asked the purple-haired girl wryly, who turned crimson. _Damn_, the girl was one hell of a big eater! Kotone nodded, ignoring her teacher whose lips twitched affectionately. Hyuga ruffled her hair softly, murmuring something in her ear. Kotone nodded and flushed a bit. "Good. Now I want to see your aiming skills." She handed the girl her spare Card, Primera Fiore and had her aim at a target Hyuga had so helpfully put up. Kotone didn't miss, hitting the inner ring every time, but she only hit the bull's eye five out of thirty times, which wasn't bad for a novice. Kotone was better with the Longbow she was given, hitting the bull's eye eleven out of the assigned thirty. June had her practice how to use a Card, because she was worse with it.

"You hold it this way," June instructed, tilting her hand one way. Kotone obediently followed, angling her body to match her temporary teacher. "That's good. Now hold it so I can show you how to adjust to the height of the target." Kotone froze obediently and June took her time to adjust her form, maneuvering her body slightly. June quietly cursed her height, which made her an entire two feet taller that the tiny slip of a thing she was teaching. As she taught, June mused on Kotone's lack of mastery on ranged weapons.

For a Newman, it was almost unheard of to be so unskilled at distance weapons, and almost suicide. However, in the small TECHNIC harvest grounds on the other cities of the globe, it wasn't that uncommon to have no skill in ranged weapons, but have ridiculous amounts of TECHNIC power. In fact, she'd bet her other eye that Kotone was from one of the small towns. Fierce fighters they were and a hell of a lot deadlier than their city counterparts. You could cross a city Newman and survive as long as you knew the streets. In the wild? You offend them; you die, and die quick if they're feeling merciful. Scary people.

"And break," She announced at the stroke of twelve. Kotone looked grateful, stretching out her hands and body with a series of standard stretches. She glanced at Hyuga, who shrugged as he got out lunch, and started on a set that only the crazies pulled off. "Did she learn those from you?" June squeaked at Hyuga, who grinned shamelessly at her shock.

"No. I learned them from her." Hyuga corrected, setting the table, while Kotone practiced pretzel maneuvers behind him. Mm. Country-fried Koltova with tempura and dipping sauce. Yum. He loved Kotone's cooking.

Three platefuls of food and a container and a half of water later, June had to reattach her jaw. Oh, Newman had perfect table manners, but seriously?! Where did that chick put it all!? June frowned at Hyuga, who was snickering at her with something akin to amusement. Kotone was blushing, looking between her teachers with embarrassment.

"Oh don't worry dear," Hyuga told her affectionately, ruffling purple hair. "You're training eight hours a day. You deserve to be hungry." Kotone nodded, her cheeks lightening slowly. June tried not to stare. _Eight_ hours?! Even Aaron hadn't done so much! Hyuga laughed at her again. "I'm a bit afraid to let her run loose. She might flirt with the boys older than her that comes by." Kotone scowled at him, lips twitching. _Oh crap. Another Hyuga. Doomed!_ At her expression, they both burst into laughter, clutching their sides. June's mind caught up to her, and she realized they were messing with her.

"Um, well, let's start on Longbow work." She muttered, deciding not to push the subject.

This moved smoothly after she adjusted her form. Archery was not as bad as Card work, thankfully. Her grip and stance were fine, but her execution left quite a bit to be desired. It was to be expected. She was pretty damn good as it was, and Newmans weren't perfect by any means. Even City Newmans.

* * *

"Well, that went better than I expected." June drawled casually as she walked away from the Training Room, Hyuga in tow. Kotone had left to wash up, leaving the two to stand and chat while waiting for the plane to drop her back to Moatoob. Hyuga hummed, waiting for her verdict. "I guess I can teach the little brat." Hyuga gave a sigh of relief.

"That's good," Hyuga sounded relieved and a bit pleased. June blinked.

"Did you seriously think I was going to say no even after teaching her?" June sounded incredulous. Hyuga gave her a sheepish smile.

"Yes." The white-haired teen admitted a touch wryly. "You have no love for kids or teaching June." June conceded the point.

"Fair enough." June grumbled, embarrassed. "So in another month I'll come back. If she slacks, I turn you both into human – and Newman – pincushions." Hyuga nodded, promising that she'd study with a faint note of panic.


	10. Chapter 10

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 10

Sorry for the late update!

* * *

Mina was confused. Very confused. According to rumors, Hyuga had a student. She'd never seen the girl in question, but Hyuga had dropped all pretense of flirtatiousness since the rumors started. He was far more serious, and many women had started stalking him, now that he was more solemn, not that it stopped him from asking her out every other time he saw her. His meticulous care of his appearance had diminished down to keeping clean and washing his hair, which had grown an inch or so in the week he'd started teaching. Those thoughts came back to her as Leo smiled at her and asked which training room Hyuga was in.

"Uh, give me a second," Mina mumbled, searching for his file. "Ah! Here you go!" Mina handed the page over to him, looking uneasily at the few women who were watching with too much interest. She smiled at him and glared at the women as they tried to sneak after Leo. "GUARDIANS Lisa, Anne, and Rica, get over here!" Stalkers.

"Leo!" Hyuga smiled at him. "Eat breakfast?" Leo chuckled softly at the question. Hyuga never lost an opportunity to feed people, he knew that.

"You'd have stared at me pitifully until I ate something so no, I didn't," Leo said with another laugh. Hyuga smiled at him, leading him into the room. Inside, a young woman was setting the table with rich plates of batter-dipped and pan-fried slices of stuffed raisin bread, bursting with dried plums, topped with bits of raspberries and whipped cream. Leo whistled. Traditional home cooking. They really wanted him to stay around. "So who made this?" The girl raised her hand, blushing faintly. "Mm, I think I might just stay for the food," Leo complimented, making her blush scarlet. Hyuga laughed at her and ruffled her hair.

"You might want to eat quickly, or she'll eat it all." Hyuga teased lightly. Kotone blushed furiously, scowling at Hyuga. Leo laughed good-naturedly, and sat down to eat.

Ten minutes and one joking introduction altered back to an honest one later, Leo decided that Hyuga had not in fact been joking about Kotone's meal consumption ratio. She had, in the space of time it took him to eat three (incredibly delicious, he might add) pieces, Kotone had eaten nine, two glasses of orange juice, and begged off two of Hyuga's, all while introducing herself. She did, in fact, eat more than he and Hyuga together.

"You must work hard if you're always hungry," Leo decided, finishing his last piece. Kotone flushed darkly again, and Hyuga grinned, shameless.

"I run her into the ground," Hyuga agreed, fluffing her hair up. Kotone swatted his hand away, fixing her hair hastily. Leo chuckled huskily at the familiarity at which they behaved. "I'm worried about her flirting habits." Leo paused. He . . . didn't just say what he thought Hyuga said. Right? They said that they were joking. Hyuga burst out laughing as his student tried – and failed – to scowl furiously, crossing her arms with an amused huff. "Just kidding!" Leo breathed easier, and he chuckled along with Hyuga. It was a fairly convincing joke, and one that could work on anyone who knew Hyuga.

"Well, let's get started." He advised, standing up to take down a light staff, the tiny little Newman following behind. Kotone took the offered staff with a blink of mild confusion. "Until I deem you not a threat to society with your skill in spear drills, we shall use this." Kotone nodded, not in the least offended, smiling faintly. "Stand like this." He showed her the basic starting position, and she copied his form. "Good. Now, as a woman, you won't be able to carry as much weight until later, so we'll go with lightweight spear maneuvers until later. You'll want to tilt the weapon this way, so that a sword or claws will slide off the weapon.

"Here, you need to tilt a bit further with this hand." He tapped her left thigh with his staff. "That leg goes further back." Kotone obeyed quickly. "Hold the position . . . Hold it . . . Good." Leo nodded to himself. "Drop and give me ten. This will be painful and no childish pushups." Kotone handed off the spear to him and assembled herself in the proper pushup procedure. "I will count for you. Down . . . Up. One." Leo counted slowly, watching her arms and body tremble faintly. Kotone gave no complaints at all, instead focusing on her breathing control and center of gravity. That was good. He usually had to pound it into his students. She held the last position until he looked at her. "You can get up now. Once I finish the count, you are free to stand up. Unless you don't practice." She got up, huffing heavily. Hyuga smiled at his student who smiled back shyly. Leo admired her reserve.

"And break for lunch." Leo told the purple-haired Newman, who was quivering all over. He'd put her through several exercises, and to be fair, the little slip of a thing had done more than just fine. Jumping jacks, running, pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups and even stretches. If this was what she did all of the time, then he wasn't surprised she ate so much. The little woman gratefully took his offered bottle of water.

"Thank you," Kotone murmured, taking small sips of her drink, unlike his other students who gulped it down and nearly choked. They sat at the table, and Hyuga set out a verifiable feast. A platter of rice and seasoned fish was set in front of both of them, as well as honey mead, and a slice of Mary's cheesecake. Mm. His favorite.

"Now that I'm sure you can do just fine with a staff, our next class will be on using a spear, as well as holding and running around with one." Hyuga nodded quietly along with his student. Leo had given him a tiny frown. "Now, I'm sure that Hyuga expects me to introduce myself and hasn't said much about me." He used his fork to point at himself, and introduced himself to her aimlessly. " . . . And I am married, with two kids. Any questions?" Kotone shook her head, munching on her cheesecake, occasionally stealing bits of Hyuga's rice when he wasn't looking. Hyuga caught her at it and laughed softly, giving the rest of his plate over to her.

"Eat up, my short little munchkin," Hyuga chuckled at her silent outrage.

"I am not short!" She huffed, pouting. She pouted some more when he ruffled her hair again.

"Sure you're not," Hyuga teased good-naturedly. "You're fun-sized." At Kotone's light whine, he managed to get her to take another bite. "Now eat up." Kotone made several faces at him, but obediently chowed down on the meal, neither of them noticing the smile playing on Leo's lips. Hyuga made a good teacher. Leo had been around, and knew good teaching when he saw it. It was one of the reasons he had recommended Tonnio. If he could get out of his inferiority complex, he'd be a wonderful teacher. His eyes watched them banter playfully and laugh together. Kotone glanced at him and smiled, offering him another slice of dessert. Leo accepted gratefully. He'd be sticking around for quite a while. It wouldn't do to let them lose such a relationship.

* * *

I didn't think I'd need to bring this up, but I'd like it if you guys would review every once in a while, even if it's to tell me it sucks. I have no idea how you people like my story!


	11. Chapter 11

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

I was not too satisfied with this one. But in the end, this was the best I could make.

* * *

Chapter 11

Maya eyed the tiny Newman who was snoozing against the exercise mats tiredly, watching Hyuga grin at her slightly, and set up the table with some good country Neudaiz cooking.

"I thought that you couldn't cook Neudaiz food." Her quiet statement did little to affect the sleeping Newman in the corner. A hand on her hip made him smile.

"I didn't." He jabbed a thumb in the Newman's direction. "She did." Newman mumbled slightly, and Hyuga turned to smile affectionately at her. "Spent all night making you this meal." Maya raised an eyebrow. _That was kinda sweet_. Hyuga walked over to her, scooping the tiny thing into his arms. He sat her into a seat and shook her shoulder, gently. "Kotone, honey, wake up." Hyuga whispered, affectionately brushing her hair back. Maya watched the young teacher wake his student up with a soft smile. Hyuga was never so closely affectionate to people, especially when he'd barely met them. She really was good for him. Soft lavender eyes slid open and she gasped.

"I didn't oversleep did I!? Oh no, Miss Shidow isn't angry with me is she?" Kotone panicked slightly, until her teacher's husky laugh shut her up. Maya smiled at her over his shoulder.

"I'm not angry at you," Maya chided casually. "Well, unless you keep calling me Miss Shidow. Just Miss Maya is fine." Kotone nodded hastily, finishing the setup of the table. "And this looks wonderful, Miss Kotone!" The girl blushingly beamed at her temporary teacher. "Let's eat!"

Maya finished her plate, completely full, and watched tiny little Kotone eat enough for an army. The diminutive little Newman was currently stealing some of the stuffed crab of Hyuga's plate. When Hyuga caught her at it, he cheerfully traded the crab for some shrimp and dumped some more food on her plate. The small girl ate away, finishing off the plate. Hyuga gave into her puppy eyes and fed her some more off his plate. Kotone giggled and took it gratefully. The meal was complete, and Maya smiled at her puppy-like charge.

"Now, I'm Maya Shidow, and I'm more suited to Wands, Rods, and Handguns. I don't have the mental discipline yet to cast without a channel or a TECH-MAG." Kotone didn't flinch at the subtle comment, but Hyuga gave her a silent stare, clearly displeased. "Now, I learned that you can't channel through anything but a TECH-MAG, so all I'll teach you is Handguns." Maya handed her a Bimtore. "See that target? Ten shots." Kotone obeyed, firing ten perfect rounds into the center rings, and one hit the bull's-eye. Maya whistled lowly. That was damn good. She knew quite a few people who would say that it was disgraceful for a Newman to have such low skill when they should be better, but Maya had her thoughts of the girl being a country Newman, so it was very high for her suspicions. They worked on position and aim for a while, and Maya called a halt. She would probably die for this, but hey, curiosity killed the cat.

"I know Hyuga said you couldn't channel through Wands and Rods," She started, ignoring Hyuga's expression, "But I think I might have an idea as to why. Are you a Country Newman?" Kotone looked startled, but nodded. "I guessed as much. Where are you from?" Kotone looked a bit nervous. "Don't worry; I won't need this for anything other than to ID your problem." Kotone blinked.

"I come from the Yokubō marsh." Maya whistled. Yokubō marsh? Sweet Holy Light, no wonder she didn't want to tell. Those people did not like deserters any more than Karen liked the former Light Master.

"I won't tell a soul," She promised solemnly. Kotone relaxed slightly. "Now, do you have more than four TECHNICS?" Kotone nodded. "That's why then. Yokubō TECHNIC users have a lot of problems with Rods and Wands purely because those need mental contact, not physical. Physical conditioning should fix that." Kotone nodded, brightening. "I have the opposing problem. I was born on Yuki-Onna, the City of Ice, so I need the physical contact." She took in Hyuga's angry expression, concealed in mild concern, and winced. He was going to flay her. And as promised, Hyuga escorted his student out and turned to face her, his light blue eyes shimmering with anger.

"Let's take a walk," Hyuga offered politely, his voice falsely saccharine. Maya briefly considered running away. But Hyuga would find her – he always did in the end – and all her running would only prolong the anger sure to come. Maya swallowed nervously. She nodded, seeing the cold glint of anger in his eyes. Talking wouldn't save her in this case. They walked out of the training room, heading towards the temporarily-abandoned research district. After several minutes, Maya began to wonder if he was going to murder her, where nobody could hear her screams when his voice jolted her back to her senses.

"What on earth inspired you to even _think_ of that topic?" Hyuga asked, sounding tiredly exhausted. Maya blinked. "I appreciate the attempt to help, but I tried everything I could think of Maya." Maya winced, realizing how that must have sounded to the young teacher. He was probably angry at himself for not thinking of that.

"Yes, but when you called, I was in Yokubō marsh," She managed to start, warily. "I spent most of the winter trying to help people who had the same problem. I didn't mean to imply that Hyuga!" A soft sigh left Hyuga's lips, and he rubbed his forehead. He knew Maya was trying to help, and he just wished that he could do all that. "Hyuga," Maya started again, guessing his thoughts accurately. "You called me over to help. That means you know you need someone to lean on." Maya touched his shoulder. "Please, let me support you with this." Hyuga groaned quietly.

"I know Maya, it's –" Hyuga flailed about, trying to articulate his feelings. "I just wish that I could do everything for her." Maya slid down and sat next to the young teacher.

"You're off to a good start," She assured him. "My teacher was never this thorough with his instruction. Trust me; you're on the right track." Hyuga smiled, and Maya grinned back.

"Thanks." He helped her up, and smiled shyly at her. "How about I buy you lunch as a thank you, if Kotone hasn't already cooked one for us?"

"Sounds good," Maya agreed, walking with the teen to the training room. Halfway there, she paused. _Did he just invite me to a date?_ "You asked me out!" Maya sputtered.

Hyuga's laughter could be heard throughout the building.

* * *

The return of the Flirty Hyuga!

But seriously, this chapter is a pain. I've also set up a story that should be seen up here.


	12. Chapter 12

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 12

* * *

Saturday found Ethan Waber hiding behind a door in a frantic attempt to hide from Laia. He'd been helping the bitch all week, damn it, and he wanted to relax! The sounds of steady footsteps registered, and a young woman looked at him oddly as she walked in. He waved at Kotone, and pressed a finger to his lips as Laia came into view.

"You see Ethan?" Laia asked desperately. "I need help with my little terrors." Kotone stared at her flatly.

"Perhaps he is on a mission?" Kotone suggested dryly. "Or he's hiding?" Kotone rolled her eyes at the older woman's theatrics. "I only know Mr. Waber in passing. If you don't mind, I need to warm up or Mr. Hyuga will hurt me." Laia nodded, distracted.

"Yeah . . ." Laia left. Kotone nodded at the older teenager politely, taking the time to stretch out. Ethan admired her as he waited a reasonable time until after Laia left to open his mouth, hands dangling over his knees.

"Mr. Waber?" He sounded wryly amused. Kotone flushed.

"I don't have permission to call you by your first name." Ethan sighed. As old-fashioned as her teacher. It was actually rather endearing.

"Well then, call me Mr. Ethan." Ethan chided slightly. Kotone sighed, but nodded. She pulled out her Double Saber, and Ethan watched interestedly as she practiced on her own. "How good are you at that?" Kotone blinked, and looked at her weapon.

"Mr. Hyuga said that I would have to pursue training on my own," She supplied hesitantly for him. Ethan nodded.

"That means you're pretty damn good." Ethan got up and summoned his own. "I know some skills if you want help." Kotone brightened and nodded.

* * *

Hyuga watched Ethan brightly detail out how to use two Double Sabers at a time. Hyuga grinned at the clear delight Ethan took in teaching the young woman. He'd have to tell Nav that Ethan would have done just as well.

"Stealing my student Ethan?" Hyuga asked wryly, dumping the boxes of food onto the table. "Breakfast Kotone." Kotone cheered brightly, bouncing over at Ethan's nod. She happily opened a box and dug in. Ethan smiled sheepishly back.

"Just repaying a favor. She saved me from Laia," Ethan informed him, sitting at the table. Kotone pushed a box towards him and kept eating. Hyuga snickered at his student's single-minded attitude.

"Mm. Are you sure? She looks pretty focused on eating right now." Kotone glared at her teacher slightly, before returning to her food. Ethan smiled a bit at her.

"Pretty sure. Why didn't you tell me about her? She's got moves _I_ don't know!" Kotone stopped eating long enough to answer.

"You know things I don't," She pointed out, starting on her third box. Ethan laughed.

"Touché," Ethan agreed, grinning shamelessly. "But seriously?" This was directed towards Hyuga.

"I do need to teach my student," Hyuga pointed out wryly to his friend. Ethan winced.

"Okay, so I get a bit enthusiastic –" The brown-haired boy ignored Hyuga's snort. "But it's not like there's a lot of people who use a Double Saber!" Kotone filched a fifth box without their notice. "What?" Hyuga snorted again, nudging his box of half-eaten food to his pupil's side.

"Nothing. Do you want to spend Saturdays with us?" Hyuga offered, watching Kotone light up delightedly. Ethan shrugged, rubbing a shoulder.

"What do you do on Saturday?" Hyuga grinned at him, and instead recited the entire list of work they did during the week and the occasional visits.

". . . and I need to get her a visual exam." Hyuga grinned brazenly at his open-mouthed shock. Kotone polished off her ninth box. "Slow down sweetie," Hyuga chided gently, tapping her hand. "It'll still be here." Kotone nodded and slowed down. Ethan's mouth hung open. What the hell did that girl do on weekends to be so hungry!? "She gets a bit . . . affectionate with other men." Hyuga answered his unasked question while Ethan stared. No. _NO_. Not another Hyuga! Hyuga snorted at his student's outraged glare. "You started it by making the joke to Tonnio honey." Ethan relaxed a bit. A joke. He could live with a joke.

He hoped so.

* * *

A week later

* * *

Ethan watched Kotone practice interestedly, occasionally pointing out a flaw here and there. Hyuga was busy on a mission and he had offered his services before Laia could rope him back into helping again. Ethan rubbed his shoulder, whistling sharply enough to stop her.

"Alright, I've got a fair idea of what you know." Ethan didn't add that she should have dropped dead from her work ethic. "Has Hyuga started on the Crescent Moon for twin sabers?" Kotone shook her head.

"We only started on it with two-handed blades." She mumbled. "He wants me to take my learning slow." Ethan nodded.

"It's a good choice," Ethan agreed happily. "I've seen plenty of GUARDIANS who simply think raw strength can beat the knowledge in countering attacks." He summoned his twin blades, and held one in reverse grip. "Are you ambidextrous?" Kotone shook her head.

"Lefty," She corrected gently. Ethan shrugged, swapping his positioning of the blades. Ethan was ambidextrous, as well as Hyuga, though Hyuga had cultivated it through hours of practice. That tidbit was relayed to Kotone, who promised to work on it.

And she did practice. Ethan watched her from the doorway as she stubbornly tried to get it right.

"You're a diligent one, aren't you?" Ethan asked dryly, startling the tiny little thing. For a second, he felt slightly guilty, watching her hands flinch up slightly in a small, childlike attempt to defend herself. "Here, let me help," Ethan offered to her a touch ruefully. Thankfully, the way she lit up made up for the nagging feeling of guilt in his stomach. He smiled back, trying not to think of how her smile made his stomach jump rather excitedly.

* * *

Hyuga watched Ethan's hands as they lingered a moment too long on his student's, and he shook his head in amusement. It was about time Ethan got himself interested in women. For a time, he assumed Ethan was gay. Hyuga laughed brightly, and thanked Ethan for teaching his student.


	13. Chapter 13

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Sorry for the late update!

Chapter 13

* * *

"Oomph!" Kotone huffed, pulling on her jeans. They didn't fit as well as they had a month ago! She had the same problem with her T-shirt. The purple-haired girl huffed irritably. How was she supposed to go anywhere in these clothing!? Her shirt stretched over her shoulders as the shorts had over her thighs and hips. She flushed brightly. Damn it, she didn't have any money, and as nice as Mr. Hyuga was, she didn't want to impose on him! Slipping on her sneakers, she heard a light knock on her door. She groaned quietly to herself. There he was.

Hyuga absently twirled a strand of his hair around one finger, waiting for his student to open the door. _Should I get a haircut?_ Hyuga quietly mused on that, but turned his attentions to his student when she opened the door. The very embarrassed, barely dressed teen shooed him in.

"Miss Kotone?" Hyuga asked dryly, observing the way her clothes stretched over her body. "Do your clothes even fit?" The girl flushed darker.

"Barely," She mumbled, looking at the ground. Hyuga shrugged off his jacket, placing it over her moderately more curvaceous frame.

"Well shopping for clothes is on the list as well then." Hyuga remarked dryly, watching her zip up the jacket with some amusement. He was fairly slim, but still larger than the petite thing he taught, the end of his jacket reaching about her thighs. Kotone flushed faintly at his attentions, looking down. Hyuga sighed, looking down at his white T-shirt in mild irritation. He'd have to get another sweater. "We'll have to plan out our day, so grab your things and let's stop by my room." Kotone nodded, retrieving her TECHNIC books and wallet.

"Sit down," Hyuga told her, steering her into the couch. "I'll be right back, so start planning what you want to do." He pulled on that one turtleneck he never actually used all that often; mentally thanking whoever it was who gave it to him that it wasn't some horrendous color, just a plain dark blue.

* * *

Ethan sneezed, drawing Laia's attention away from her little brats. Her little twitching, half-dead brats.

* * *

"So where do you want to go first?" Hyuga asked his student. "The market isn't open until sunset, and we still have to fly to get there." Kotone frowned slightly.

"I should get the Marks done with quickly, and then I should get some clothes," Kotone murmured softly, tapping a fingertip to the paper. Hyuga absently scribbled down the schedule. "He should be up by now." Hyuga glanced at the clock, slightly startled. It was six-thirty in the morning, both here and on Neudaiz. Most people weren't up at this hour. "Where would we be going?" Hyuga looked up from his paper.

"Raze city." Kotone nodded at his answer.

"Alright." Hyuga smiled at her as she fidgeted a bit in her seat.

"Now, as you probably don't have any money, I'll be paying for whatever you need." He put his hand up to quell her protests, still feeling a bit of shock when she complied. "Kotone, I am your teacher. I _will_ provide anything you need until you graduate, and even after, should you need it. It is not a burden or a problem, and I will be more than pleased to do it." He smiled at her again. "Let's go." Kotone nodded.

"Kotone?" A gruff, stern-looking man observed the young woman with interest. "And a GUARDIAN," He added distastefully. Hyuga watched him coolly. Kotone looked between the pair nervously, before stepping in.

"Moritake-Otou," She started. "I wish to introduce you to my teacher, Mr. Hyuga." She fiddled with the hem of her borrowed jacket. Moritake looked him over, staring at the boy flatly. Hyuga met his eyes, quietly staring him down. This man would not intimidate him. His father was a far worse man at times, and Moritake would not scare him. Moritake's eyes crinkled in mirth after a few seconds.

"Humph. He's not bad for a GUARDIAN." Moritake took the proffered books, and flipped through them. "Mm. Never thought you'd come back girlie." Hyuga politely tilted his head, resting a hand on Kotone's shoulder.

"I'll be outside Kotone, if you need me." He nodded briefly at Moritake, and situated himself outside, leaving the two to catch up.

* * *

"GUARDIAN." Moritake called him in. Hyuga bristled, reminded of the simpering yes-men that called him by his last name at the parties his father had forced him to attend. Moritake shivered as the air around the teenager dropped ten to twelve degrees.

"Hyuga," He corrected through tightly gritted teeth. The man raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Hyuga then." The grizzled Newman said agreeably. "I made your student an offer, but she's rather adamant on getting your approval." Hyuga nodded suitably, leaning against the wall. "The Communion has asked us makers to conceal TECHNIC Marks, and it was most recently approved by the Divine Maiden. Kotone, as you know," He jabbed a thumb in the direction of the resting teen, "Has more TECHNICS than is normal on a Newman. She insists that she needs your permission to conceal them." Hyuga held up a hand and ran through the waiver in his mind.

"How much of a risk does this have of failing?" Hyuga asked dryly. "If it's over fifty percent, I'd have to get the Headmaster's approval," Moritake stared at him, a scowl painting his features.

"Fifteen." He bit out slightly. Hyuga glanced over at his student, who was dressed in a back-exposing shirt.

"Kotone." His student looked at him curiously. "Your discretion is appreciated but not needed. Anything over thirty percent requires the approval of another GUARDIAN. This choice is yours to make, not mine." He nodded at her. "If you want to take the mark, I'll be alright with that." Kotone lit up.

"I'd like to take it." She told him, visibly cheerful. Hyuga gave a small snort at her optimism. "Can you be here?" She added hopefully. Hyuga smiled at her.

"If you want," He agreed, taking a seat next to her. "Go ahead," He told the staring Newman. "Price isn't a problem." Hyuga watched as he shook his head, muttered, and wandered over to a large bookshelf, taking out a thick manual. Limping over, Moritake showed them the various inked patterns.

"Pick any of them you like," Hyuga told her firmly. "Just make sure it's something you don't mind people seeing." Kotone nodded and browsed through the patterns, flipping through the pages. She settled on one, and Hyuga looked at it. Moritake whistled.

"You always were a demanding one." He commented. "That's going to be at least three hours." Hyuga frowned.

"Do you need me to keep people out?" Hyuga asked warily, glancing towards the open door. Moritake glanced at the slightly disappointed expression on Kotone's face and the genuine concern on Hyuga's. _Girl, he's a keeper._

"Nah. Once I start a tattoo, the years of TECHNICS imbibed into the wood keep people out." Moritake stretched his hands out. "Let's get started."

* * *

Hyuga watched the last of Kotone's TECHNICS sink back into her skin, leaving behind an exquisitely delicate tattoo. Each mark had bled out into a beautiful pattern of tiny petals and bark, running the span of her back down to below her waist and bleeding into the sides of her hips, the roots of the tree and molten stone tangling together. She sat up shyly, holding Hyuga's jacket to her chest with a flush. Hyuga turned away, giving his student some modesty to dress, glaring at Moritake until he turned around as well, lips twitching.

Kotone wrapped her chest with thin white silk, wincing at the rough feel of the fabric on her back. She tugged on Hyuga's jacket, the tender flesh of her back still too sensitive to handle rougher fabrics. She stood up and tapped her teacher's shoulder.

"I'm dressed." She managed, flinching at the rasp of fabric. Hyuga watched her flinch in concern.

"Can I heal you, or will you have to wait?" Hyuga asked his student, letting Moritake steer her towards the kitchen. Moritake answered dryly.

"It has to heal naturally," The man answered, pushing a cup of hot tea into her hands. "Give her twenty minutes and she'll be fine." Hyuga nodded, standing behind his student and observing the tiny kitchen.

"Alright then." Hyuga sounded dryly irritated as he counted out meseta into the old Newman's hand.

* * *

Twenty minutes later found Hyuga watching Kotone select various clothes carefully, occasionally giving his input.

"Find a good cocktail dress," Hyuga added, as she carefully deposited the clothes next to him. "You might need to attend various functions as my student, so find something nice." Kotone nodded shyly, obediently gravitating to the dresses section. Hyuga watched her shyly model them for him, as he warmly advised her on what she could wear. "Good." Kotone soon had a full wardrobe, and Hyuga put it in the Nano Transformer he had bought her, and they left the store, the young woman by his side humming delightedly. He laughed openly at her quiet, cheerful mantra.

* * *

Raze city was actually rather interesting, especially during market hours. Hyuga led his student towards the back, taking pleasure in how her eyes widened amusingly. Her attention split in multiple directions as she observed the weapons racks delightedly, cooing quiet praises to them. Nearby, a merchant began to yell loudly.

"Right here ladies and gentlemen, I have managed to procure a weapon of rare beauty!" Hyuga and Kotone both drifted over, watching him pull out a weapon handle. Kotone's eyes widened even further. "A Sonic Splendor and it's the real deal!" Hyuga watched Kotone observe it longingly, and he smiled softly, uneasily eying the masses of people looking at his pockets.

"Is it real?" Hyuga asked his student curiously, as she admired it from the counter, looking ever wistful.

"Absolutely," Kotone breathed, still admiring the weapon with childlike, wide eyes. "Sonic Splendor is a GRM and Yohmei combination product. It's one of the strongest-caliber, high-spec whips in the Gurhal system." Kotone wrung her hands nervously. "It's impossible to copy properly because of its high A-Photon absorption rate." Kotone sighed longingly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's beautiful." Hyuga watched her admire it yearningly, lips twitching. She really, really loved her weapons. The man behind the counter looked impressed and surprised at her attentions to it. Hyuga shook his head amusedly.

_The things I do for this woman._ He tapped the counter gently. "How much?" Hyuga asked dryly, watching her head snap up in alarm.

"What – No! Mr. Hyuga, you don't have to buy it!" Kotone sounded distressed. Hyuga simply ruffled her hair, already fishing for his wallet. Counting out the bills, he tried not to laugh at how the man drooled at the sight of the money. He hastily passed it over, greedily counting the meseta, while Hyuga smiled at her awed expression.

"I've said so before Miss Kotone," He reminded her gently, "You are my student. I will be happy to provide for you until you join the GUARDIANS." Handing her the weapon, he tried not to grin as she stroked it nostalgically with a fingertip, her soft lavender eyes alight with happiness. She really, _really_ loved her weapons.

"Thank you." Kotone whispered gently. Hyuga steered her towards the Double Saber section, absently watching her pick out various weapons, before returning to one, which he bought despite her gentle protests. Cute.

* * *

Kotone thanked her teacher enthusiastically at her door, until he began to blush heavily. Hyuga grumbled.

"Just do well, damn it!" Hyuga huffed, blushing.


	14. Chapter 14

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 14

* * *

Hyuga rolled his eyes at the collection of women stalking the Headquarters, striding up to the counter. "Mina dearest!" He greeted cheerfully. "The headmaster asked me to go to his office?" Mina looked a bit startled, and she was, rather strangely in his opinion, blushing at the sight of him. Hyuga watched her with some hilarity as she shuffled some papers around, and directed him towards the elevator. Hyuga thanked her with an extra-bright smile, watching her skin flush deeper, and he hummed as he walked away, thinking amusedly to himself how oddly women acted around him nowadays. He pushed the button with a fist, and waved at Ethan, who was leaning against the wall, flipping through a notebook.

"Hey, Hyuga!" Ethan sounded cheerful. "What's up?" He asked his best friend cheerfully. "Don't you have a student to teach?" Hyuga laughed slightly at that.

"I do, but the Headmaster wanted to see me, so I agreed to come by on this Monday to get whatever he wanted me to." Hyuga paused, and then slyly added, "I'm sure that Kotone would be thrilled to see you," Hyuga watched Ethan's cheeks flush slightly before continuing. "She said she had something she wanted to talk to you about." Ethan nodded a hasty affirmative, leaving with a dark blush staining his cheeks and highlighting the few freckles on his face. Hyuga grinned shamelessly. So childlike, yet so cute. Hyuga grimaced slightly at the next thought, hoping that he didn't have to do the sex talk with his student so soon. The doors dinged open and he stepped into the elevator, and nodded to himself as he bobbed his head to the quiet jazz that played over the speakers. The elevator stopped, and Hyuga stepped off, observing the empty room with amusement and speculation. Of course, such a mood was never meant to last.

A smack to his behind made the young teenager yelp in complete alarm. The familiar rusty laugh made the young teacher fume in irritation. Nav shuffled to the front, settling himself into the desk with a grin.

"Ah, Hyuga, early as usual!" The archaic CAST greeted, as if he hadn't just groped Hyuga's rear end. Hyuga rubbed his ass, grimacing at the slight sting. "Now, I've received various positive reports from the other people that you coerced into working for you that Kotone has done very well in her fields of study." Hyuga nodded, waiting patiently. "Now, I've got a few questions about this." Nav leaned forward, looking more serious than he'd ever expected to see on the fatherly CAST. "Why does Kotone need a TECHNIC Mark waiver?" Nav looked concerned, waving the papers in the air. "She wasn't on the list," Nav sounded worried now, "and there are no records of her even existing!" Hyuga looked mildly surprised and amused at Nav's distress.

"What do you know about Yokubō Newman?" Hyuga asked dryly. Nav blinked, derailed. "From what I know, they have no use for paperwork, because everything is so tightly wrapped in customs and formalities that even a rouge can't work their way in." Nav's eyes grew wide. "They have no morals or even respect for one another. It's like the GRM politics gone feral." Hyuga stopped, spreading his hands out. "And unlike crossing a regular country Newman, crossing a Yokubō Newman means absolute death. Any of Kotone's records, if they exist, are under the Yokubō Communion office." Hyuga smiled faintly at the older man. "If that's all." Nav sighed, looking at the young man apologetically.

"Ah." Nav nodded. "I do apologize, but I had to make sure, you see?" Hyuga nodded, tucking some stray strands of hair out of the way. Hyuga stretched luxuriously, propping one hand up on the chair he was sitting in. "Now that that little misunderstanding is cleared, I called you up for a request." He grinned sheepishly. "Our GUARDIANS, the new recruits are starting to complain about the workload. I need you and your student to shut them up for me, if you don't mind." Hyuga took the offered sheet of papers, reading through the modified apprentice's license. It was simply a student contract with the added privilege of being allowed to work for a reduced fee of 35% less (instead of the usual 75% fee, she'd receive 45% of the total profits), the majority of the money going to the teacher in question.

"I'll see to it," Hyuga agreed, getting up to leave. "And Nav?" Hyuga looked over his shoulder, grabbing the perverted CASTs attention away from his ass. "Grope my student ever and I _will_ end you." With that warning, he left. Nav observed the handsome teen as he left, ignoring the warning. Hyuga was still just _slightly_ too awkward in his frame, but he was shaping up nicely!

* * *

Ethan was happily talking her through the process of Statistics, a bit closer than strictly advisable, but none of the less decent, as both teenagers was fully clothed. Hyuga cleared his throat briefly, drawing their attention.

"Miss Kotone, Ethan." Hyuga handed his student the paperwork. "That is your GUARDIANS Official Apprentice license. Unlike what Ethan, Tonnio, and I went under, your license is fully active while you are still in full schooling, instead of after. I and any other partner you have will receive a majority of the profits until you reach full-fledged GUARDIAN status." He nodded at her. "Sign for me, and Ethan?" The brown-haired boy looked up from where he was watching Kotone sign with a flourish. "Can you get her set up while I drop this off?" Ethan nodded, shooting Kotone a lopsided grin that she flushed slightly at. Hyuga saw it and shook his head. Ah, young love.

* * *

Ethan watched her run through the various type selections with a frown.

"Mr. Ethan?" Kotone looked distressed. "Is there any way that I can still legally use TECH-MAGS as a Protranser?" Ethan blinked, and looked it over. Shaking his head, he amusedly observed her weapons list. There wasn't a type file in the world that she would fit in. She'd have to be in a custom class.

"No," Ethan shook his head at her, calling over the attendant. "She needs a Type Exemption Form if you will?" The woman nodded curtly at him, fetching the paper as Ethan watched her attentively. "Has your teacher covered Leveling yet?" Ethan asked dryly, watching Kotone shake her head, taking the form with quiet thanks before filling it out.

"That was today's subject," Kotone answered finally, her cheeks a little pink. Ethan led her to a seat, and gave a dramatic sigh.

"Bear with me honey, I'm going to give a dull lecture here." Kotone coughed, pressing a delicate hand to her mouth at Ethan's mock-upset face. "Leveling is done using a device called a Photon Absorber." Ethan displayed his own main adaptor, implanted into his upper right arm, before shrugging his jacket back on. "The Absorber is placed anywhere on the upper and lower body so when a person commits a kill of any monsters or creatures, they absorb a set percentage of the ambient Photon energy." Ethan smiled at her. "They work best with SEED, so you'll have to work a bit harder to gain 'Levels'. Levels are gained when the Absorber reaches capacity." Ethan mimed a small explosion with his one of his only TECHNICs. "The type of Level varies on what energy is gained from the kill. Once a level has been reached, the Absorber increases its capacity up until it reaches the safe Photon Capacity for the person intended." Here Ethan nodded at her. "I've got a slightly different one that allows the body to increase its top capacity as the Absorber does. Hyuga has one too, so that'll probably be the model you'll get." Kotone nodded obediently. Hyuga walked in, and Ethan grinned.

"Hey!" Ethan waved him over bouncing up and down. "Great timing! I just finished up a quick explanation on Leveling. Do you know which model she's going to get?" Ethan asked happily. Hyuga held up a model. It was a small metal band, with thousands of tiny spines.

"Ours," Hyuga offered, sounding amused. He observed his adorable student as she filled out her Exemption form. Soft lavender looked up and grimaced at the sight of the black band. Hyuga handed it over, watching her as she carefully put it on, whimpering faintly at the feel of thousands of tiny needles digging into her skin and injecting the billions of Photon Absorbers into her bloodstream. She peeled off the metal strip, handing it back to Hyuga as he placed the new one on the tiny pinpricks. The Main Reactor spread out across her arm, sliding under her skin to form a thin protector as the Absorbers became attached to every cell in her body.

Kotone felt the world sway as they worked on her eyes, and she gasped when they attached to her TECHNICS as well. She stepped closer to her teacher, clutching his shirt in her hands as her back burned along the TECHNIC marks. The burn faded and her legs and arms began to tingle unpleasantly as it worked its way through her body. Hyuga rubbed her back soothingly, hugging her tightly, before passing her to Ethan, motioning for the younger boy to pick her up. Ethan complied just as her legs buckled slightly. Kotone whimpered, her legs feeling ablaze with flames and molten lead. After a few minutes, the burn faded to a cool brush of the AC. Ethan hugged her to his chest worriedly, as Hyuga watched on in amusement, looking at Kotone's body curved around Ethan's own.

"Having fun?" Hyuga asked dryly, making the man blush scarlet. Ethan mumbled something into Kotone's hair, while Kotone simply blushed at her teacher's audacity. Hyuga chuckled amusedly, and shook his head at their silliness.

"Um, well," Ethan mumbled, letting the disappointed, tiny woman down. Hyuga simply snorted, and told Kotone to turn her paper in.

"We'll meet you at the PPT gate." Hyuga told his student. "Come on," Hyuga told a surprised Ethan, already moving away. The redhead gulped nervously as they walked to the gate. "What do you intend to do with your relationship with Kotone?" Hyuga asked his best friend sternly. Ethan blinked in surprise.

"I want to introduce her to Lumia," Ethan found himself admitting, before clapping a hand to his mouth. Hyuga chuckled at his fear.

"That's a good start." Hyuga agreed dryly, his eyes alight with amusement. "You like her." It wasn't a statement. "I'm happy for you," Hyuga informed him sincerely, a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "I don't think that you being with her shall be all that bad of an idea." Hyuga said, watching Ethan's stunned face. "She could use a nice guy in her life," Hyuga mused aloud, thinking how few friends she currently had. "But be warned," Hyuga said dangerously, pulling Ethan close so they were almost nose to nose. "You hurt her, and I'll make you suffer for the rest of your natural life." Ethan squeaked and nodded, leaning away from the angry teenager. "Good!" Hyuga chirped, walking away with a bounce to his step.

Ethan simply followed behind nervously.

* * *

AN:

Main Reactor - the Main Reactor is what collects the Ambient Photons from a kill, and collects them. Once it reaches capacity, it will preform a quick burst from it, suffusing the Absorbers with the new photons and begin collecting again. The Reactor is like a thin sheet of cells directly under the skin. It can be damaged, like Tylor's in PSP2i (If you take a look at one of his arms, you can see it's blackened and dark, with claws on his right arm.) It's also the arm that is recommended that Beasts place their Nanoblasts on. It works so well with SEED because SEED collect Auras, made of A-Photons, around their outer body, providing for quick absorption.

Ta Da! What do you think? I'm sadly so much better at writing a serious Hyuga than I am a Flirty (Yes, the Flirty Hyuga deserves a capitalized title) one.

On Hyuga's meeting with Nav: In Phantasy Star Portable 1, Laia complains about Nav's tendency to grope women, and sarcastically asks why he doesn't do the same for men, citing Dallgun as an example. Nav proceeds to gross her out by mentioning that now that Dallgun was fully grown, it wasn't a bad idea. Cue the squick on Laia's end.


	15. Chapter 15

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 15

* * *

Ethan tapped his foot impatiently as the rail stopped, waiting for his younger sister to finally come home from school. Lumia bounded off of the rail and stopped at the sight of her brother, who gave her a smile.

"Ethan! I missed you!" Lumia squealed, hugging her older brother delightedly. "Who're you?" Lumia asked Kotone suspiciously. Kotone smiled, and bent down to look the little girl in the eye.

"I'm Kotone," She greeted, offering a hand to Lumia. "You must be the famous Lumia Waber Ethan is always talking about." Lumia took the proffered hand with big eyes.

"Kotone's my girlfriend," Ethan added quietly, waiting for the explosion. Lumia stared, looking between him and the short Newman incredulously.

"You're straight?" Lumia blurted, before stopping short and blushing. Kotone's lips twitched, and Ethan groaned.

"You sound like Hyuga," Ethan decided, his head in his hands. Kotone snorted quietly, swinging Lumia up to her hip. Lumia didn't protest, already comfortable with the woman who, if the glint in her eyes was any indication, was going to tease her brother into next week.

"Well, you can't exactly blame him," Kotone pointed out reasonably. "Your clothes scream 'Gay boy here'." Ethan spluttered, and Lumia giggled into Kotone's shoulder. "I think you need a makeover." Kotone winked at Lumia. "And lucky for us, we have someone who knows fashions as well as I do!" Lumia lit up. She _liked_ this lady already!

* * *

Ethan stepped out of the closet with a frown. Kotone looked at Lumia, shrugging.

"I like that one," Kotone said dryly. "It's a decent outfit." Ethan agreed, tiredly. Lumia looked over it critically, and then jumped to her feet.

"One more thing and it'll be perfect!" Lumia declared, running off to the accessories section while Ethan groaned. He was starting to regret introducing his sister to Kotone. The object of his frustrations smirked up at him, as she made her way over to him.

"Aw, don't pout," Kotone giggled at him. "Honestly Ethan, you do have to admit you didn't exactly look straight in your old clothes." Ethan grimaced, making another face at her, but he bent down to kiss her gently.

"The things I do for love." Ethan griped slightly as he pulled away. But privately, he couldn't help but agree that he looked much better than before. Instead of entirely bright colors, he was clad in earthy greens and pale greys, his normal clothes taken by Kotone, who claimed that they were now hers. A smile touched his lips as Lumia ran back holding one of his favorite belts, one he had previously been too embarrassed to buy. He slung the heavy leather around his hips, waiting for his sister's verdict.

"Perfect!" Lumia declared. The tags were collected and passed to the shopkeeper, who nodded appreciatively at Ethan's new clothes, and they left the store. Ethan quietly ignored the masses whispering to each other, instead chatting to Lumia about her day and generally steering the conversation away from Kotone's odd peculiarities.

* * *

At home, Ethan made a split-second decision. "I'm going to get dinner," He announced to them both. "Anything you want?" Kotone frowned slightly.

"You sure you don't want me to make something?" Kotone offered, as Lumia frowned herself. Lumia hated it when people got too comfy in their home, especially in the kitchen. "I know you can't make boiling water without screwing it up somehow." Kotone added playfully. Lumia snorted into her hand.

"Uh, well," Ethan scratched the back of his head. "Lumia's the boss in the kitchen, so you'd have to ask her." Kotone turned to Lumia, brushing her hair back.

"If you want, I'll teach you how to cook some food," Kotone offered, smiling at the tense Lumia.

Lumia didn't say anything, fuming. How dare she presume that she could walk in and do whatever she wanted? No! She didn't want Kotone in that kitchen! Only family had been allowed to cook in there. "I guess," Lumia answered instead. _Let's see what she does with that._ Lumia thought darkly, expecting Kotone to trespass some more in her and Ethan's home. Kotone could sense the tension in Lumia, the dark, defiant dislike of anyone but family in the kitchen.

"Alright then," Kotone said briskly, standing up. "Apparently your kitchen is either haunted or really doesn't like visitors, so how about I get dinner instead?" Kotone suggested, steering Ethan into her seat. Lumia tried her hardest not to be surprised. Ethan blinked at the clearly unusual exchange of events.

"Sure," He answered, watching her put on his old jacket and fetch her wallet, which was filled with her pay from her first mission. Ethan smiled at his little sister. "Neudaiz food sound good?" He asked her.

"Yeah," Lumia answered distantly. "Yeah, that's good." Kotone kissed Ethan on the cheek and Lumia on her forehead quickly.

"I'll be back soon," Kotone answered, leaving the two siblings in a tense, slightly awkward silence. Lumia looked down at her hands, a strange lump of disappointment in her chest, like congealed pasta, the emotions so tangled and bleeding into one another. The door clicked shut, and Ethan's hands pulled her into his lap, running a hand through her hair and taking out the pigtails she normally had her hair in, stroking the chestnut strands reassuringly. Lumia fisted a hand in his shirt as a quiet understanding passed through the both of them.

Kotone knocked on the door, startling the two siblings. Ethan placed a meek Lumia into the couch, running his fingers through his sister's hair once more before going to the door. Lumia didn't move, still sorting through her thoughts, tangling her fingers together.

* * *

Ethan let Kotone in, his lips pressed together in a frown of mild worry. Kotone gave her boyfriend a confused look, but didn't say anything, giving him a gentle hug and kiss before moving to the living room table. Ethan collected the plates and set the table in an uneasy silence. Lumia poked at her food listlessly, sometimes eating, sometimes not, as Kotone looked between the pair worriedly.

"Lumia?" Kotone's gentle voice brought the girl out of her stupor. "Is something wrong?" Kotone's hand turned the young girl to face her. "Would you like me to leave?" Lumia's eyes went wide. None of Ethan's female friends had ever asked her that. Lumia sniffled slightly, watching Kotone gently press a kiss to her forehead, before doing the same to Ethan. "I'll see you tomorrow Lumia," Kotone told her softly. As Kotone made to leave, Lumia managed to find her voice.

"C-can you stay?" Lumia stammered, fingers twisting in the hem of her dress. She was going to leave like everyone else, and Lumia didn't want that. Not when Kotone had so understood her. Kotone stopped, turning around to step closer. "Please?" Lumia's voice began to crack. Kotone hugged the tiny girl, bundling the delicate thing into her arms. Lumia sniffed, breathing in the gentle scent of chamomile and honey. _Like Auntie,_ Lumia recognized dimly, before bursting into tears, clutching the soft cloth of Kotone's jacket. Another pair of arms wrapped around the pair, and she smelled Ethan's slightly maple-like scent. She cried harder, clinging to Kotone.

Kotone.

* * *

Ethan watched his girlfriend hold Lumia tightly, murmuring soothing words into her ear and rubbing her back. He smiled as Lumia clung to her and nested herself firmly into Kotone's arms. Kotone lay out on the couch, and Ethan fetched a blanket to cover his girls with. As soon as that thought registered, Ethan stumbled slightly. His girls. A smile touched his lips. Yes. His girls. He could live with that.


	16. Chapter 16

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 16

* * *

Lumia woke to the sounds of quiet murmuring.

". . . Mr. Hyuga," Kotone's voice registered dimly. "No, it was a bit different, but okay. What? Oh, no, Lumia's sleeping," Here she felt a hand run through her hair. "No, we spent the night on the couch. When she wakes up, do I have to leave for another mission or can it wait?" A pause and Lumia could hear the sounds of Hyuga talking over the phone. "Alright then. I'll see you at five tonight for class." Lumia remembered that Ethan told her that Hyuga had a student. Was Kotone his student? "Alright. Mm-hmm. I'll do that. See you later. Bye." A light click and she felt her pillow shift slightly. The hand resumed stroking her hair, brushing some strands out of the way. Heavy, familiar footsteps grew louder, before stopping nearby.

"How's she doing?" Ethan asked quietly, trying not to be too loud. A rustle of fabric preceded the touch of a slightly callused, warm hand much larger than the one in her hair pressing against her cheek briefly.

"She's been quiet for the last hour." Kotone answered just as softly back. "Should I wake her, or is she a late sleeper?" The sound of a hand on fabric made her think of Ethan pushing back his sleeve to look at his watch.

"She's got school in three hours," Ethan answered. "Should we have her go?" Lumia wanted to nod, but didn't. School would give her a distraction and let her sort herself out.

"I think so. Lumia might want the space to calm down. I think I might have done something wrong." Kotone sounded worried. Lumia almost shook her head. Kotone hadn't done anything wrong. If anything, she had done everything right. The sound of a gentle shake made her internally smile. Ethan would make sure that she knew she hadn't done anything wrong.

"Alright. I'm going to get breakfast," Ethan told her. "Oatmeal sound good? Lumia loves it in winter." She felt Kotone shift.

"Oatmeal is great," Kotone answered, her hand stopping its gentle trailing through her hair. "Hurry?" Kotone asked.

"Of course. I can't leave my girls hungry," Ethan chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to Lumia's temple. "See you soon honey." The footsteps began to recede, and the sound of the door opening and closing made her internally panic, before her mind snapped to the possessive word he had used. _His_ girls?

"Lumia sweetie?" Kotone asked softly, stroking her hair. "Honey, wake up." Lumia drowsily opened her eyes, spotting a purple curtain of hair being brushed back by a soft hand. "Hey, sweetheart," Kotone murmured gently, helping the sleepy preteen up. "How are you?" Lumia had a vague recollection of her aunt saying something like that. It was one of those soothing sort of things her busy relatives never really had time for.

"Tired," She told the concerned woman. Kotone smiled sheepishly at her.

"Well, I'm glad that's all." Kotone said, pulling Lumia into her lap. "Do you want to go to school?" At Lumia's worried look, Kotone added, "I'll be here when you come back." Lumia nodded at that, snuggling into her new favorite person, yawning tiredly. The sound of a door made them both look up and they watched Ethan come in holding three large bowls of oatmeal. Yum.

Lumia discovered something new about Kotone: Kotone could really, really _eat_. Lumia didn't mention it though, intent on the last bits of oatmeal in her bowl. Wasted food was a sin in the Waber family, especially since auntie and uncle weren't really rich. Kotone hummed to herself happily, successfully filching away some of Ethan's food to Lumia's amusement, as she was doing the same thing. Ethan sighed, and split what he had left between the two of them.

* * *

Kotone walked to the train with the young woman, taking her hand as the crowds grew, the kids jostling them. Kotone helped her up to the train and hugged her goodbye.

"I'll be here when you get off the train." Kotone promised, hugging her once more. "We'll have a girl's day out once you got back, okay?" Lumia nodded and boarded the train, watching her new friend disappear as the train pulled away, the pretty Newman waving until it was out of sight.

As soon as Kotone was out of sight, the kids who were watching curiously swarmed her, asking endless questions about who she was and what she was doing. Lumia wasn't really all that popular compared to Ethan, and intensely disliked because they assumed she was stuck-up. So a flash of pride streaked through Lumia as she answered.

"She's my brother's girlfriend," She said proudly, before squirming to her compartment. Lumia hadn't made it two feet before she heard the screech of wheels and flung herself to the ground as the world distorted and glass shattered.

* * *

Kotone saw Ethan as he ran towards her, looking very alarmed. "Kotone!" Ethan paused for breath. "Lumia's train was hijacked!" Kotone felt the world tilt, and a surge of worry flashed in her eyes.

* * *

Kotone caught sight of Hyuga running, and then jumping onto the roof of the train. Kotone whistled loudly, grabbing her teacher's attention. Hyuga bent down, offering a hand to the young teen. Kotone took it gratefully, seeing Ethan already opening the roofs' emergency exit, his action being copied by every other AMF and GUARDIAN in visible sight. Kotone dropped into the dimly lit compartment, taking the blood on the walls with a touch of worry. The two checked the rooms quickly, running through them with a tense silence. Empty. Empty, empty, blood-covered, empty, empty. . .

* * *

Lumia watched her classmates as they huddled in fright, cowering away from the Beasts guarding the door and windows. Lumia watched the windows mildly, trying to portray confidence. By the disturbed look on the Beasts, and the reassurance on her classmates, it was working. She projected her voice above the whimpering students.

"My brother will get you." A simple statement. The Beasts snorted.

"And what's he, a rag-tag little boy?" One Beast sneered. Lumia projected her best arrogant tone.

"No. Ethan Waber." Lumia kept her disdainful look even as the rouge's face dropped twelve shades. "And even if he doesn't, the AMF will." She added, watching him pale some more. "Is your pride worth your life?" Lumia asked, smiling haughtily at him. The Beast couldn't even squeak.

"I don't think so." Kotone's voice sounded as she knocked the rouge out. The other one crumpled to the ground, courtesy of Ethan. Ethan was watching his sister with an impressed look.

"Not bad for an intimidation tactic," Ethan complimented his sister while Kotone went around checking the various injuries sustained by the group. Lumia smiled shyly up at him, before turning to Kotone, who gave her a grin and thumbs up, before returning to the child in front of her. "Hyuga?"

"Uh-uh. Cop shows." Lumia said, utterly deadpan. Kotone bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "Oh, does this mean we're late to class?" Lumia asked her brother sadly. She'd been aiming for perfect attendance. Ethan gave a small smile.

"Classes are canceled." He told her, swinging the girl up to his hip. "Now, once we get out of here, I believe that Kotone said you two would have a girl's day out?" Lumia perked up, and looked at Kotone hopefully. Kotone laughed.

"I guess a bit of shopping is in order!"

* * *

Lumia looked around the mission counter eagerly, watching as Kotone received her pay with a smile. Hyuga was leaning on the counter, dryly amused.

"I see that you used a longsword today." Hyuga drawled, lips twitching up into a smile. "Is that habit or necessity?" Kotone smiled and blushed scarlet. The CAST running the counter handed Kotone an extra envelope with a smile. "That is your class bonus." Hyuga told his student brightly. "You accompanied me on a mission outside of your current rank and so you get a good bonus. Unlike regular student apprentice's pay, this has no deductions." He shooed her over to Lumia, who he hugged tightly. "Look at you!" Hyuga exclaimed, watching her blush brightly. "Last time I saw you, didn't you have shorter hair?" He asked her, smiling warmly. Lumia nodded, shyly playing with the end of her dress, cheeks bright red. Hyuga had turned from well, Hyuga, into something _hot._ He fluffed her hair up, and turned to Kotone. "From now on, classes will be done during missions so you can get used to actually fighting with your forms and maneuvers." He kissed her forehead. "Good job munchkin!" And before she could slug him in the arm, he ran off, heading out into the streets. Kotone settled for grumbling instead, taking Lumia's hand in hers.

"Ooh, when I get my hands on him . . ." Kotone groused. Lumia giggled hysterically.

* * *

Kotone led Lumia into the large shopping division gently, hands grasping the smaller girl's own. Lumia followed wide-eyed, sticking close to the beautiful woman. They stopped at the clothing stores, spending enough to make Ethan wince.


	17. Chapter 17

Phantasy Star Portable – Kotone

Chapter 17

This is the final countdown! The last chapter of my story, and I'm so glad to all of you who read this story!

* * *

Hyuga yawned tiredly, ruffling his hair. It was his week off since Kotone would be running missions with her other teachers, and he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. He'd already planned out all of his lessons up to the next three months, and flirting was becoming less and less appealing as time went on now that the chase was no longer so difficult. Hyuga groaned, bashing his head against the table.

"Hyuga!" Leo greeted the tired-looking teenager happily. "What's wrong?" Leo asked worriedly, seeing the frustrated expression on Hyuga's face. It usually spelled trouble, or a bored Hyuga, which was even worse.

"I don't know what to do with myself," Hyuga complained, running a hand through his lengthy hair, the white strands standing out against the light tan of his skin. Leo chuckled.

"What happened to flirting?" Leo pointed out slyly. Hyuga grimaced, shaking his head.

"Lost its appeal." Hyuga grumbled. "And before you ask, I've got my lessons planned out to the next three months as well as run a complete weapons check on all of my equipment." Leo whistled. He knew Hyuga was a workaholic, but _damn_, he'd never known how much! "Seriously, what do I do with myself?" Hyuga lamented to himself. If this was what teaching full-time was like, he'd remain on the Mobile Defense Force, thank you very much, and screw the lower pay. Leo's lips curved up.

"Talk to family or something?" He offered. "Do a mission? Write a memoir?" Hyuga snorted inelegantly, lips twitching.

"Thanks for the laugh Leo," Hyuga coughed amusedly. "I'll see if my father wants to chat for a bit," Hyuga decided, standing up and ignoring the many women who were observing him with mild to extreme interest. He waved goodbye and wandered off to the PPT gate.

* * *

Ian Ryght had learned his son always had an ulterior motive when it came to stopping by 'to chat', as Hyuga usually put it. Which he approved of. No future GRM president could ever afford a purely social call, unless they were really that bored. And by the look on his son's face, he was really _that_ bored. Hyuga smiled at father wanly, allowing Ian to observe the changed demeanor and appearance of his only child. He had finally grown into his mother's looks and grace, Ian decided, stretching a hand out to brush the silky white strands away from his boy's eyes. Hyuga let him do so quietly, leaning into the touch a bit. Ian smiled, and shooed his son in.

"Come on in son," Ian told Hyuga, gently steering him into a large seat. "Tea?" He offered, taking in the tired expression that graced the child's features. Hyuga smiled gently at him, curling up in the seat as he had when he was a small child.

"Yes please," Hyuga murmured, resting his head against the cushions.

Several cups of tea and an hour later found Ian admiring an image of Hyuga's student. She was a delicate thing, with doll-like features. Hyuga's hands cradled his seventh cup, watching his father admire the image affectionately.

"She looks lovely," Ian complimented. "Also, Hyuga, I was hoping you would be coming by." Hyuga looked up as his father leaned forward. Ian sighed to himself. He'd have to cut to the chase.

"I am a very sick man," Ian said finally to his son, who looked alarmed and concerned. "Since the initial invasion, I have been ill, and I've been getting worse." He took in his son's stunned expression. "I know we had an agreement that you would inherit at twenty, but that option is no longer available." Ian looked down. "I will not force you, but I have very little time left to me." Hyuga's hands reached out, to touch his hand softly.

"How long?" Hyuga asked quietly. Ian sighed. The days were very limited.

"Six months before I become too ill to stay in office and nine before they anticipate my passing." Ian answered his son, watching Hyuga's eyes widen. Hyuga's clever mind was no doubt racing, deciding on the possibility of learning what he needed before then.

"I need to tell my student," Hyuga muttered to himself. "I'd have to transfer her to another teacher, and if done on time, I'd be ready in four months," Hyuga's murmur was soft. Ian felt himself buckle quietly in relief. His son wasn't very fond of the idea of inheriting the large company, having threatened to jump off a cliff in a more memorable moment. "I'd have to resign, and take up the position, and then I'd have about an entire three months free to learn what you could teach me." Hyuga watched his father sadly. "I wish I didn't have to accept because you were sick," Hyuga sighed, his white hair falling over his face. "I'll do my best dad." Ian nodded, feeling a spark of hope.

"That's all I can ask."

* * *

Kotone blinked as her phone began ringing. Tonnio also watched amusedly as her ringtone "You're Gonna Go Far Kid" played, signifying Hyuga was calling.

"Mr. Hyuga?" Kotone asked, after flipping her phone open and hearing his strained hello. "Is something wrong?" She paused, eyes going wide in shock. "What!?" She sounded worried. "Should I bring Mr. Tonnio?" Kotone asked seriously. "And Mr. Ethan?" Tonnio blinked, a bit alarmed. "I'll call Miss June if you need me to." Kotone shifted her weight to the other foot. "Alright, I'll bring Mr. Tonnio and Mr. Ethan right away." Kotone hung up the phone, and started scrolling down the list of numbers. "Lumia!" She sounded amused at whatever greeting the little girl gave her. "Can you put Mr. Ethan on the phone? It's important." A silence and Kotone waved him over, the pair walking to the PPT gate. "Mr. Ethan! Mr. Hyuga wants to see us. All of us," She agreed. "I'm not sure, but he sounded upset. No. I don't think so. He mentioned his father." Tonnio's eyebrows jumped up in his surprise. Hyuga never mentioned his father, and Tonnio was under the impression, along with the most of the GUARDIANS that knew him, that Mr. Ryght was dead. Tonnio followed.

_This gotta be _damn_ good._

* * *

Hyuga watched them file in, twisting his fingers in his shirt. Maya had talked Light Master Rutsu into letting Karen come for the day, which made his job easier, at least a little bit. Karen was appreciatively eyeing him, but he conveniently ignored it. His heart was breaking, knowing that someone in this room would likely not forgive him.

"I want to apologize," Hyuga said finally, drawing their attention to the fidgeting teenager in confusion. "Mostly to you Miss Kotone, but to the rest of you as well. I should have told all of you sooner who my parents are." Ethan and the others watched him intently. "I was born Hyuga Aaron Ryght in March 15, 2999, to my father Ian Ryght and my mother Eva Ryght." Ethan pieced it together, and stared at his best friend in shock. "My father is more commonly known as Ian of GRM." Silence. He didn't dare look up, fearing the worst. "My father is the current president, but he –" Hyuga choked slightly. "He's fallen fatally ill. I will be unable to continue my position as a GUARDIAN, as I have a responsibility to inherit." The others fidgeted, starting to feel sick.

"The initial agreement was that I inherited the company once I reached twenty, but that option is no longer possible. There is no other family or work associates that could hold as proxy until I turn twenty." Hyuga's hands twisted the fabric of his shirt more. "I–I should have told you sooner." It was completely silent for a moment. "Miss Kotone, I will be incapable of finishing your education, as well as continuing to see you on a regular basis. My apology is mostly to you and you alone. I'm sorry dear." Hyuga fell silent. Kotone watched her teacher as he silently fiddled with his jacket, her feelings mixed. She realized that her teacher was afraid, afraid of what she might say. So Kotone said nothing at all.

Instead she launched herself into his arms and hugged him to within an inch of his life. Hyuga caught the tiny, flying teen in surprise, before tightly hugging her back, burying his head in her shoulder. Ethan watched the scene with a sad smile. It was a shame. He'd miss going on missions with his best friend. Karen didn't say anything, but she forgave him. Leo had guessed, and was unsurprised. Tonnio wanted to slug him in the arm, but waited until Kotone let her teacher go. Tonnio's hand hit his arm hard, and Hyuga winced.

"You made me think you were dying, asshole!" Tonnio was indignant. Maya was confused. And June? Well, June was dryly amused, her expression bored as it always was.

"I heard a rumor about that," June sounded dry. "So it wasn't a big deal." Maya didn't say anything. Hyuga was her friend, but this was crossing the line. She saw how readily everyone forgave him, and Ethan clasped his shoulder.

"I can see why," Ethan was thoughtful. "It's got to be hard, living in your father's shadow." Maya listened to that, and she decided to reserve judgment. After all, it _was_ Hyuga. "Who will Miss Kotone be transferred to?" Ethan asked cheerfully. "Since I'm her boyfriend, I can't teach her full-time." Hyuga sighed.

"She'd transfer to Laia for the remaining time of her training. Or she can apply for her GUARDIANS license. Miss Kotone has nearly fifty missions of various ranks under her belt, most of them B or A-ranked missions, with a few S and C missions here and there. Should you choose to take the exam, remember, you will be expected to know all social protocol, which I don't think you had a problem with." Hyuga hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry." Kotone shook her head, holding him tight. Her fingertips touched his forehead when she pulled away.

"Thank you for teaching me," Kotone whispered. Hyuga held her tighter.

"Always."

* * *

_Kotone applied for early graduation and passed at the top of her year. Hyuga took his father's position nearly a month after, sending the GUARDIANS in frenzy. Most notably, many women began to harass the young president into marriage. Hyuga declined every offer._

* * *

Kotone watched Laia congratulate her former student Ian with an amused smirk. She wanted to mess with poor Ian, her little seat. So she waved, and called out, "Hey, Benchwarmer!" Ian jerked around in alarm at the loud noise, and glared at her.

"You passed," He sounded disappointed. Kotone scoffed.

"I passed six months ago, dumbass." But she smiled at him, a touch warmer. "I heard you're quite the Claws user. I'd like to spar with you someday." She nodded at Ian politely. "I need to get going. Have a good day Ian." She left, passing a delicate-looking CAST with a small smile and nod, which the small thing returned.

* * *

"I'm home!" Kotone yelled out happily, depositing her bag onto the rack. Arms wrapped around her, teasingly. Ethan kissed her neck, his hands wandering up her tank-top with a smirk. Kotone squealed, batting his hands away with a laugh. "Ethan!" Ethan's grin broadened. It was nice to hear her call her just by his first name. It had taken another four months after Hyuga had resigned to get her to call him by just Ethan. His lips kissed her neck once more.

"How was work?" Ethan purred, carrying her to their bed. Kotone gasped and giggled at him.

"Oh, boring as usual." Kotone said, allowing his hands to wander, now that they were no longer at the front door. "I missed you during work." She added, gasping as Ethan picked her up and settled her on his lap.

"I missed you too." Ethan agreed. "Dinner out?" Ethan offered, feeling her body slump tiredly against his. The feel of her body made the little box in his jacket pocket burn viciously, his nerves mounting. Kotone nodded against his chest tiredly.

* * *

Ethan led his girlfriend into the classy restaurant with a grin, feeling the weight of several jealous male eyes on his female companion. Kotone blushed, nesting closer to Ethan. Ethan paid them no mind, instead seating her at the best spot in the entire restaurant. Kotone flushed gently again at Ethan's gentlemanly behavior, teasing a curl of purple hair with two fingers. Dinner passed with the two quietly, each enjoying the company of the other. Her lavender eyes looked up at him as the music played, wistfully wishing to dance with Ethan. Ethan caught her sad expression, and smothered a laugh. _Cute._ Ethan walked around the table, offering her his hand with a smile. Kotone lit up, taking his hand delightedly. The pair joined the many other couples on the dance floor to slowly sway together, trailing lazy circles around the wooden area. Kotone hummed a few bars of the song "My Heart Will Go On," and after Ethan figured out where she was in the song, he joined her, making her smile at him shyly. It wasn't long before the very same song showed up on the speakers. Ethan led her to the balcony, feeling the box in his pocket burn with every step.

"I love you." Ethan murmured, kissing her lips tenderly. Kotone hummed in agreement, resting her head against his chest. Ethan smiled at her affectionately, though he was mildly disturbed at the cut on her neck. Kotone had received the scar on a mission with him and nearly died some weeks back. It was the first time he had told her that he loved her, and he made up for it every day since. He refused to lose her, and there were a few important things to be taken care of to ensure that. Ethan kneeled on the ground and pulled the box out of his pocket. "Kotone," Ethan tried not to think negative thoughts. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my fiancée?" Kotone was staring at him. _Please do not laugh at me,_ Ethan pleaded to her silently. _I can handle any answer but laughter._ Kotone slid down to her own knees and closed the box. Setting it to the side, she faced him with a dazzling smile.

"It's about time." Kotone answered, pressing her lips to his own affectionately. "I don't need a ring Ethan. I need _you._" Ethan picked her up, mindful of the small velvet container and spun her round.

It was a very, _very_ good evening.


End file.
